A Precious Bond
by HarvestGirl10
Summary: IKARISHIPPING! When a young girl befriends a Celebi and gets lost in the past, Paul and Dawn find her and take care of her.It's now their duty to reunite her with her parents, but Dawn and Paul cannot help but feel this Precious Bond towards Sakura...
1. Chapter 1: The Chase

I'm back! Yay!!! I'm so glad to post up another ikarishipping fanfiction! This idea was stuck in my head forever and I wanted to post this up! Well, here it is first chapter to "A Precious Bond"!

**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR ITS CHARACTERS,**

---

"Brii! Bii!" a green pokemon cried as it ran through the forest, swiftly avoiding trees and branches. Chasing after it was a giant metal machine, thrashing anything that came in its path.

"Damn, we injured it! It's worthless if it's dead!" A rough man shouted to his crew. His face wore an old five-o'-clock shadow, ragged clothes, and a red bandana overbearing his face, concealing his eyes. A true look of evil…

"Send out the special enforcements!" The man commanded.

Obeying their commander, one lackey pushed a red button, causing a huge zapper-like claw out of the rampaging machine. It lunged towards the green pokemon, snatching its leg, and electrocuting it.

"Biii!" It cried in pain, its wings failing and it slowly drifted down to the ground. The evil machine started to pull the poor creature in a small tube-like cage that appeared on top of the machine.

"Ha, now was that so hard? Mighty Celebi, some protector of the forest you are! After all these years, I finally caught you…I, The Great Pokemon Hunter, Damar, captured the very pokemon who could control time itself!" The evil man cackled, sitting down in an oversized commander chair, quite satisfied with his evil work.

Celebi weakly opened its eyes and gave out a shriek of pain when it was flung into the cage.

"Bii…" it whimpered

"Now, let's go turn this thing in-" Damar began but was cut off by a loud shrill of power.

"Brii, Bii!" Celebi roared, its entire body manifested in an eternal green glow. Bright green lights shone from it and the tube began to crack, as well as the machine's parts to malfunction.

"What's going on?!" Damar cried, getting out of his seat.

"It's Celebi sir! I-It managed to break out and it's destroying the Rampager!" A grunt yelled over the booming and malfunctioning of the mighty machine.

"Then do something about it, do you know how much this Celebi is worth?!" Damar ordered viciously.

"Brii!" Celebi let out a surge of energy, causing the machine itself to explode. It managed to escape just in time and the exhausted pokemon weakly flew away, turning its back to the fire it has caused to its beloved forest. Tears filling its eyes, it gently descended to a secluded spot and closed its eyes; bright green vines swarming around it protect it. A warm glow surrounded the pokemon and it slowly began to replenish its energy. It needed it, it needed it badly. So badly...

Meanwhile…

Damar limped out of what was once his greatest machine. He turned around to see The Rampager smashed, destroyed, and in flames. A few survivors joined him on looking back at the fiery wreck.

"What do we do now sir?" One asked.

Damar merely smirked and looked towards the forest where Celebi had escaped too.

"We wait, I got what I needed." He explained as he walked towards the opposite side of the forest.

"Sir?" The all asked as they followed him.

Damar did not reply instead, he laughed evilly in the darkness.

--

Wow, that was the shortest chapter I've ever written, like ever. Don't worry though, Ikarishipping is coming next chapter and it'll be much longer! Um, that was my first attempt to make an explosion/action/bad guy is truly evil kinda scene, so please bear with me! Hope you like it, review and see you next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2: Sweetness turned Bitter

Hey! Back! I apologize once again for the short chapter last update, but it was late and I wanted to get this story up on the site right away. Alright, here's Chapter 2!

**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR ITS CHARACTERS. **

------

"I'm gonna jump!" A young girl shouted as she was swinging very high on the swings.

"No, Sakura-!" A man yelled but it was too late, the girl released her grip from the swing and flew in the air. For a few seconds, she was flying but was tumbling down to the ground only a few short moments later.

"Ahh!" The young girl cried as she felt hard on the mulch that surrounded the swings on the playground. The man approached her and began to help her brush off the dirt that was on her play dress. The girl wore a bright pink play dress that had overall style straps, a white shirt underneath, and pink strapped shoes. However, the dirt covered most of her knees and dress causing it to appear less bright.

"I told you not too." The man said as he knelt down before, keeping eye level with her. "…Your mom is going to kill me" He referred to her dirty dress as he finished brushing off the dirty mulch. He also picked out some stray mulch out of her long lavender hair, and a few specks of dirt from her bangs.

"But Daddy! Mommy said these are my play clothes!" Sakura complained in a whiny voice.

"Yeah but you know how your mom gets, she insists on making you look dolled up all the time."

"Mommy loves dressing me up! She says I look cute!"

"Yeah, that's your mother." The man sighed and Sakura giggled.

"Listen Sakura, I'm going to tell you something and you must never forget it." The man warned in a serious tone.

"What daddy?" Sakura asked, a little worried that she has done something wrong. Her father could get very rough when it came to punishment.

"Whenever you are falling or anything like it from a very high height, focus and calm down. Everything will become much easier for you to find the safest way down." He said, trying to explain it as easy as he could to a five year old.

"Really?!" Sakura shouted anxiously.

The man simply nodded, "It's our little secret, okay?"

"Okay!"

He placed her piggy back style on his back and began walking to an open area when a woman was placing food around a spread out blanket. She brightened up when she saw them both but her face frowned when she caught glimpse of Sakura's dress.

"Honey, what happened to Sakura's dress?" She confronted the man angrily; the man simply smirked and shrugged.

"Mommy! The swings were so much fun! I want to go on them again!" Sakura chimed as she gave her mother a big hug.

"Really?" The woman cooed as she hugged her daughter. "We'll go back then, but next time your father," She gave the man a glare. "Your father will have to be supervised on pushing you if he let you get dirty." She simply said, her cooing voice returning.

"Ah, it's not my fault." The man said as he kissed his wife on the cheek, the woman simply giggled.

"Yuck!" Sakura covered her eyes and the couple laughed.

"Well, the food's ready. Look Sakura, as a special birthday treat, I picked some Pecha Berries!" The woman brought out a basket of the fruit and handed one to Sakura.

"Yay! Pecha Berries!" Sakura rejoiced as she took a faithful bite out of the pink fruit.

"Want one dear?" The woman asked as she handed one to her husband.

"No thanks, I can't stand those." The man said with great distaste as he pushed the basket away.

"You're so strange, these are my favorites!" The woman took a faithful bite just like her daughter and playfully stuck her tongue at the man. The man returned by just rolling his eyes.

After they had finished eating their meals, Sakura began to pester her parents.

"Do I get a present? Huh huh huh?" She anxiously asked, hopping up and down.

"Calm down, of course you do." The man said.

"Yay! Gimme!"

"Nope, what do you say?" The woman warned.

" Pleasssssseeeeeeee?" Sakura pleaded, the man and woman smiled.

"Happy Birthday Sakura! They both warmly said as they handed her a small wrapped package. She happily took the package and unwrapped it quickly. She opened the box and the two 25 year-old parents warmly smiled at each other as she did.

"Kya!" Sakura cried as she held a golden locket in her hands. "So pretty!"

The woman took her daughter into her lap and opened the locket for her. A soft melody began to play.

"Our Lullaby!" Sakura commented and the woman nodded. The man smiled at the scene. The woman began to sing a soft melody to match the tune:

_High above in the enchanted night_

_Stars shine, Silver and Bright_

_Pokemon slumber down below_

_Underneath a star's eternal glow_

_Jigglypuff serenade the night away_

_Kirlia dance, they glide and sway_

_Close your eyes, take a rest_

_This is a star's lone request_

_I love you, my darling, so don't you cry_

_Now and Forever, Our Lullaby…_

The woman ended the song quietly and rested her hand on Sakura's head. She had drifted asleep, comfortable in the arms of her mother. The woman gently put the locket around Sakura's neck, and kissed her head.

"That always puts her to sleep…" The man said. He looked over at his wife but only to find her sleeping as well. He smirked and lied down next to his beloved family. The man closed his eyes, and eventually, he drifted off into a sleep too.

---

A machine began to rampage again into a familiar forest. Unlike the other, this one was twice as big, twice as powerful. It was known and feared as The Rampager II. Inside a man sat in a commander's chair, an evil smirk on his lips.

"Now that it's weak, it won't be able to escape this time." A mysterious woman said from the corner, her features concealed by shadows.

"I am sure, but why do you think it will stay captive? It's last outburst cam by surprise." Damar questioned from his chair.

"Because I studied Celebi my whole life! Don't judge my decisions or I shall report this to the Team Galactic that you're not taking this seriously!" The fierce woman threatened, Damar cowered in fear.

"As you say! Keep on track! Celebi's coordinates are straight ahead!" Damar commanded from his seat. The grunts obeyed instantly, The Rampager II speeding up.

Damar touched his finger tips together and smirked. It was not escaping this time.

-----

Sakura awoke sleepily and looked around. Her mother and father were still fast asleep, her father's arm wrapped around his wife's waist. She smiled than got up to her feet. She was going to go conquer the swings and jump, taking her father's advice to use.

She was half way to the playground when she heard a faint cried.

"Lebi…" It called in a shrill, weak voice.

"Huh?" Sakura asked as she turned around. Nothing. The voice kept crying, and it came from the forest. Of course, being a five year old, she followed it. She knew what her parent's always said to her:

"_Never wander off!" _

But this was different. Someone-or something- was hurt! She walked into the forest and trudged through muddy water. She wailed as her pretty pink shoes became a spotted brown but the voice kept her going. She eventually came to a small secluded area with vines wrapped tightly around a small green pokemon.

"Bei…" It whimpered.

"H-Hey! Are you okay?!" Sakura shouted as she climbed through the vines. Normally, no one could get through but with a five year old's body, Sakura could get in with ease.

She picked up the pokemon carefully in her arms and gently caressed its head. It slowly opened its eyes and looked at her, immediately feeling better knowing that there was a nurturing person caring for it.

"You look hurt! Are you hungry? My mommy always says that you always feel better if you eat a treat!" Sakura dug into her dress's pocket, and pulled out a spare Pecha Berry. She had taken it from the basket secretly when her parent's were speaking to one another.

She fed the creature and it happily ate it, despite its condition.

"See? All better!" Sakura cooed, "Do you have a name?" Sakura, oblivious to the fact that pokemon can't speak.

"Lebi…" Celebi murmured.

"Lebi? Hi Lebi, my name is Sakura!"

Celebi closed its eyes and hummed to itself. The green vines slowly evaporated and its green aura absorbed into the Celebi. It rose from Sakura's arms and spun around in the air, it was all better!

"Brii!" It rejoiced. Sakura laughed as Celebi spun around her, occasionally poking its head out behind her, playing around.

Sakura laughed and danced with the pokemon while saying "You're all better! Pecha Berries really do help! Hurray Lebi!"

She laughed and played with the Celebi, oblivious to what was about to happen next.

---

The woman felt around in her sleep in hug her daughter but when she felt nothing, her eyes woke up immediately. She checked on the man's side. No one. She looked around, Sakura was gone…

"Sakura?!" She exclaimed in fright.

"What's wrong?" The man asked, still groggy from his sleep.

"Sakura, she's gone!"

The man's eyes widened and he looked around, shouting her name as well. They looked around and the man noticed foot prints leading into the forest.

"Oh god…we have to go! She went this way!" He yelled as he grabbed his wife by the arm, forcing her to come with him. The woman eagerly followed.

They rushed through the trees, the woman almost crying with worry.

"You don't think…?" She wept

"No! That's not going to happen! I'm not going to let it!" He shouted back.

"Yay, Lebi!"

They both froze at the sound of Sakura's voice.

"Sakura?!" The both cried, following the laughter and eventually seeing their daughter playing with a green pokemon.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look! I made a friend!" She cheered as a Celebi shyly poked out from Sakura's back, landing in Sakura's arms.

The parents' breath was cut short and the woman cried "Leave that pokemon alone this instant! Get back here!"

"What?" Sakura asked, hurt.

"NOW!" The man roared.

Sakura almost burst into tears but that was quickly cut short when something grasped her hard in the back and pulling her up into the air.

"SAKURA!" The woman cried, the man cursed under his breath.

"Mommy! Daddy! Help!" Sakura cried as a mechanical claw tightened its grip. Celebi, still stuck in Sakura's arms, shrieked in pain.

"We seem to have a girl with it." Damar cackled evilly, "What do we do?" He asked the mysterious woman.

"Take her with it, we'll dispose of her immediately afterwards." She said, still hidden in the shadows.

"You heard her, don't hold back!" Damar commanded to his hesitant team of pokemon hunters.

"Empolean, Help out Sakura!" The woman shouted.

"Torterra, help out!" The man shouted.

They both threw their pokeballs in the air, causing two pokemon to come out.

"Ice beam!"

"Hyperbeam!" They both shouted but immediately stopped the attack in mid- sentence. If they attacked, Sakura would be in the line of fire.

The claw electrocuted the pair and Sakura shrieked in pain.

"NO!!!!" The woman cried, lunging herself to her daughter.

"Dawn! NO!" The man yelled as he restrained his wife, she struggled to escape but she was no match against her husband's grasp. "I can't loose you too…" He said.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Sakura cried as she and Celebi was thrown into a glass tube that, once again, appeared on the machine. Once the tube closed, Sakura beat madly against it, trying to break it. Celebi, also, lunged towards it. Celebi tried holding back tears; it was still weak from the last time. It couldn't use its ultimate defense, but there was a way… The Celebi tapped Sakura's forehead and a small green light shone on it, than it disappeared as if nothing happened. The machine headed back towards the forest, causing Sakura and Celebi to fall backwards against the cold hard glass.

"Sakura!" The woman and man yelled in angst.

"Help!" She cried, her voice slightly muffled from the glass's interior.

"Good. Now, harness the power." Damar ordered

An orange claw stuck into the tube and grasped Celebi.

"Lebi!" Sakura screamed.

"Now, begin submission" He continued.

A yellow-green light came from Celebi as it shrieked, and a green orb surrounded the machine.

" _NO!!!!!!!"_ The woman cried.

"Mommy! Daddy! Save me!" Sakura shouted, tears falling off her cheeks.

The woman managed to break free from her husband's arms and ran towards the Rampager II.

"Activate, 15 years into the past."

The woman reached the machine but it was too late. The green orb engulfed the entire machine and disappeared into thin air.

"…No…" The woman whispered as she fell to her knees. The man ran up to her and helped her up. She wept into his shoulder and cried. "What do we do now, Paul?" She wept, still burying herself into his shoulder.

"We have to wait…everything's going to be fine…." He comforted as he rubbed her back gently, she cried into his shoulder as he did so .He rested his head on top of hers, and a few tears escaped through his eyes as well.

_I love you, my darling, so don't you cry_

_Now and Forever, Our Lullaby…_

-----

Chapter 2 is done! I made it extra long to make up for last chapter! See? Well I concealed the parent's identities until the end, but I'm guessing it was pretty easy to guess after a while. I wrote that lullaby, but I think it's too short, aw well, it's pretty! Um, I tried using variations for Celebi saying more stuff that "Brii" and "Bii" so I changed it up a bit.

Please Review! Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3: A Fated Encounter

Yay! I'm so glad everyone liked the last chapter! All the reviews made me so happy XD! Okay Okay! I know you're all anxious for the chapter, so here it is! Chapter 3!!! This will be LONG chapter, 17 pages! So enjoy!

**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR ITS CHARACTERS**

-----

"Alright! So, the contest is in um… two months!?" Dawn exclaimed in shock as she flipped through her issue of _Coordinator's Monthly_

It was a typical afternoon for the Poke gang. All of them were circled around a small camp fire, with a pot of stew hanging over it. There was a forest nearby but ahead of them was a huge cliff that leads to a valley below. One false step off the cliff and you'd be tumbling down to the valley, so far below you couldn't even make out the bottom from the top.

"Chill out Dawn, isn't that good news? That gives you two whole months to practice." Ash said as he finished his second bowl of soup. Pikachu and the other pokemon were in their own little circle close by, sharing a large bowl of poke food.

"Your right! That gives me two whole months to toughen up and perfect my appeal!" Dawn rejoiced, pumping her fists in the air.

"I'll win for sure!"

"That's looking at things in a positive light." Brock commented as he stirred his stew, occasionally adding a few more ingredients to the brew. Dawn giggled happily to herself and began sipping her stew.

"And this time, I'm going to blow Zoey and Kenny off their feet!" Dawn declared, "They won't know what hit them! There's nothing to worry about!"

"I'm sure…" Ash stated, slyly taking another bite out of his meal.

"What does that mean?!" Dawn shouted as she pulled her hands on her hips, her brow furrowed.

"Nothing! No offense Dawn, but Kenny, especially Zoey, they're pretty tough!" Ash quickly recovered, waving his hands in the air in a 'calm-down' gesture.

"Hmph! Well, Then I'll be tougher!" Dawn shouted with pride, sitting back down on her log she used as a chair.

The whole group laughed and another casual conversation began. Most of it was about where to head next, which route to follow, the same old for those who travel through the Sinnoh Region.

"Now use slash!" A familiar voice commanded. Out in the distance was no other than a particular ruthless trainer and Ash's rival, Paul, training his Weaville.

"Hey, Paul!" Ash shouted, hoping to get his attention.

"What do you want?!" He snapped, in his usually monotone, returning his pokemon without even acknowledging it in the process.

"I thought maybe we could have a-" Ash began

"–A Battle!" Dawn completed Ash's sentence, enlarging one of her poke balls as she did so.

"Oh? _The girl_ wants to battle?" Paul smirked, suddenly becoming interested.

"_I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT MY NAME IS DAWN! YOU LITTLE-_" Dawn, once again, exploded. Brock was quick to react, however, by shoving his hand over Dawn's mouth before she could say anymore.

"Wait. What?" Ash asked confused, completely thrown off by Dawn's outburst.

"Is that okay with you Ash? You said I needed practice." Dawn stated.

"Um, sure I guess. Who knows? It might be fun seeing Paul lose to a girl!" Ash laughed, Paul glared angrily at him.

"Whatever." Paul said, enlarging one of his poke balls.

Dawn smiled in glee, she had won.

"But let me tell you _Dawn,_" Paul smirked, putting extra emphasize on her name. "I highly doubt this battle is going to even last a minute."

"I know it won't!" Dawn smirked, sticking out her tongue in the process.

"Then let's do this and get this over with." Paul stated, obviously annoyed that he has to partake in a worthless battle that would benefit him in no way what so ever.

"My Pleasure." Dawn teased. Just once, she would like to shut that guy up. Just once, she wanted to show him that any pokemon could be strong. Just once, JUST ONCE, she wanted to show him…that she wasn't just so…worthless…

-----Meanwhile-----

In the deep density of the forest, a huge green orb materialized, causing all of the forest pokemon to stare in awe. The orb shimmered away and in its placed stood The Rampager II. All of the small pokemon scurried away as the huge machine rampaged through the forest.

"We did it, Celebi is ours. All the years of waiting finally paid off!" Damar said as he looked onward towards his crew.

"Team Galactic will be pleased, I ensure you the reward will benefit." The mysterious praised, her features still encased in shadows.

"It better!" Damar cringed as he dug his nails into the armrests of his chair, his bandana almost concealing his eyes.

"Did that girl make the trip?" The woman asked.

Damar pushed a button that appeared on his armrest, causing a small screen to surface. The screen was a black and white surveillance that showcased the tube that was on the exterior of the vicious machine. It showed a small girl banging hard against the glass frantically, tears whelming up in her eyes. Celebi was tugging on the sleeve of her dress, trying to calm her down and hopefully, not hurt herself.

"She'll only be a nuisance to our plans." The woman warned.

Damar gravely nodded. "Dispose of her immediately." He commanded one of his grunts who nodded as well. The grunt pushed a blue button, and the woman looked on at the screen, eyeing the girl. It was best this way…It truly was.

-----

"UGH! No! Mommy, Daddy! Help!" Sakura cried, banging even harder on the glass. Her small hands were bruised and her pink dress was more than ever covered in dirt, her face stained with tears.

"Bei…" Celebi comforted as it put its arm on her shoulder.

Sakura recalled and sat down, tears whelming up until she was in a full-blown crying fit.

"Lebi!" Celebi gasped at Sakura's tears. She was sitting there, her eyes closed, crying in complete hysterics. Nothing would comfort her; her father was gone, her mother was gone, her mother was _crying._

'_SAKURA!!!!'_

Her mother's words still rang in her head, causing more hot tears to escape through her cerulean eyes and roll of her cheeks. She had done this to them. If she had just stayed with her family, if she had just listened to them, she would still be in her mother's arms…she would still see her father's smirk, she would still be with her loving family. She still would be happy.

Celebi tried it's best to comfort the small five year old. It pulled its face to make silly faces, popping out of no where, playing peak-a-boo, and trying to do ANYTHING to make her feel better. Sakura, however, kept crying. All she wanted was her mother and father to be here. To tell her everything was going to be all right, to hear the soft melodic voice of her mother sing her lullaby…

"Our lullaby…" Sakura realized, her tears temporarily stopping. She traced her neck until she found the locket her parents had given her. She picked up the golden locket and opened it, causing the melody to play. More tears than ever raced down her eyes. Her cheeks turned red and tears blurred her vision, causing her locket to be just a golden blur in her hands.

"Mommy…Daddy…I'm sorry…" Sakura wept. Celebi looked longingly at her, feeling terrible for what has done to her, her family…

_**PLOP!**_

"W-What's going on?!" Sakura screamed. The tube, like a bubble, separated into two.

"Lebi!" Celebi cried as the bubble Sakura was in moved away from the Rampager II and the one it was in stayed in its place.

"Lebi! No!!" Sakura shouted as she extended her hand out, hoping to grasp it. Celebi did the same, but Sakura floated further away, causing them to miss.

Celebi's bubble morphed back into the original tube-like capsule and Celebi fell back with a thud.

"NO!" Sakura cried as her bubble drifted away from The Rampager II. Celebi pounded against the tube, hopeless. Sakura began to pound on her bubble hard with her hands. Suddenly, her bubble popped and Sakura fell hard on the muddy ground.

"Lebi!" She called after Celebi, stretching out her hand.

"Bii!" It shouted, the machine pulling it away. Celebi kept shouted out for Sakura but its voice soon dimmed as The Rampager II pulled deeper into the forest.

"LEBI!" Sakura called one last time, her voice echoing throughout the entire forest.

"…Why…" Sakura cried, clenching her locket hard in her small grasp.

The pokemon who were hiding from the evil machine appeared from behind the bushes and trees, overlooking remorsefully at Sakura.

"…I'm sorry…Mommy…Daddy…I'm sorry!" She sniffed, her silent tears falling to the ground. Her long lavender hair was now messy, her cerulean eyes were red with tears, and her dress was now completely filthy.

"I'm…sorry…"

Sakura held her locket tight to her heart and envisioned her father and mother smiling at her, extending their arms out to her…

Sakura closed her eyes, letting the tears flow. This was all she had left now…All she wanted now was to just go home…

-----

"Was it taken care of?" The woman asked sternly.

"Yes, she won't be any more trouble." Damar smirked proudly.

"Excellent." The woman said, glancing over at the surveillance where a lonely Celebi laid, crying. She looked back towards where the grunts operated the controls and the head window of the machine.

The woman kept her eyes head on, supervising the team's work. One could say that a small glint of sadness reflected in her eyes…

-----

"This will be a one on one battle!" Brock declared as he stood in the middle of a large field near the camp site. Ash sat, excited, on the sidelines with pikachu on his shoulder. Paul stood on one end of the field, completely bored out of his mind. Dawn on the other side, however, was pumped and determined to win.

"Here we go! Piplup! Spotlight!" Dawn exclaimed as she tossed a poke ball in the air.

_I've been looking for a driver who's qualified_

"Ursaring, Prepare for Battle!" Paul shouted as he threw one of his poke balls in the air.

_So if you think that you're the one step into my ride_

Both pokemon came out in a blazing white light. Ursaring came out, ready to fight. Piplup came out happily, jumping around like no tomorrow.

_I'm a fine-tuned supersonic speed machine  
With a sunroof top and a gangster lean_

"That's your pokemon?" Paul smirked, commenting how Ursaring easily overpowered a mere Piplup.

_So if you feel me let me know, know, know_

"Yeah! And it's going to win!" Dawn shouted across the field.

_Come on now what you waiting for, for, for  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode_

Paul simply smirked. Dawn furrowed her brows in annoyance.

_So start me up and watch me go, go, go, go_

"Then I guess I'm the first move." He said, caring less. "Ursaring, use Hyperbeam!"

"Dodge and use bubble beam!" Dawn shouted.

_Got you where you wanna go if you know what i mean  
Got a ride that smoother than a limousine  
Can you handle the curves? Can you run all the lights?  
If you can baby boy then we can go all night_

Piplup dodged the fiery blow and attacked. Ursaring, still recharging from the attack, took it.

"Yes!" Dawn cried.

"Not quite." Paul smirked as Ursaring recovered and rampaged towards the small blue pokemon.

"Now, body slam!"

"Urrrr---riing!" Ursaring cried as it tackled the pokemon, causing it to fall back in pain.

"Piplup! No!" Dawn yelled, "Quick! Blind the field with bubbles!"

_Cos I'm 0 to 60 in three point five  
Baby you got the keys- _

Now shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

Shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive) 

"Lup?" Piplup tilted its head in confusion but obeyed its trainer's orders. Piplup jumped up in the air and twirled around, causing bubbles to blind the field.

"W-What's going on?" Ash asked.

"Hmm, that's very clever for Dawn. She's using the distraction to sneak up behind Paul and catch him by surprise." Brock explained for Ash.

"Oh, I see." He agreed as he focused his attention back to the field.

"Pika…" Pikachu agreed along with its trainer.

_I got class like a 57 Cadillac  
Got all the drive but a whole lot of boom in the back  
You look like you can handle whats under my hood  
You keep saying that you will boy I wish you would_

Paul grinded his teeth. He couldn't see Ursaring or the field. This was bad. This was _very_ bad.

"Keep using Hyperbeam!" Paul shouted, determined to not let Dawn win. He was completely careless for his pokemon's condition; all he wanted was to win._** Badly.**_

_So if you feel me let me know, know, know  
Come on now what you waiting for, for, for  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go, go_

"Keep surrounding the field!" Dawn shouted as she praised Piplup for its work.

_**BAM**_

_**BAM**_

_**BAM**_

Ursaring kept using Hyperbeam mindlessly, hoping to hit the small pokemon. The brown pokemon did not even stop to recharge.

_Got you where you wanna go if you know what i mean  
Got a ride that smoother than a limousine  
Can you handle the curves? Can you run all the lights?  
If you can baby boy then we can go all night_

"Now Piplup, Clear the air!"

The bubbles then popped in the field, revealing Piplup standing faithfully by Dawn's side. Ursaring, however, put half the field in holes, especially around itself. It panted and was bruised from all the hyperbeams.

"I see…Dawn used it as a diversion to dig up the field." Brock mentioned from the sidelines.

Paul stood there, shocked. He had fallen for her trap, her stupid little trap!

"That's it!" He shouted, "Hit Piplup straight on!"

_Cos I'm 0 to 60 in three point five  
Baby you got the keys- _

Now shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive)

Shut up and drive  
(drive, drive, drive) 

"Just stand still!" Dawn simply said, Ash and Brock stood there with their jaws open. She was really going to take the attack?! That would be an instant KO!

Ursaring charged up another Hyperbeam and blew it at Piplup.

"3..." Dawn began, Piplup patiently waited.

"2…" Piplup dropped some sweat, and Paul smirked.

"1…Now Piplup! Use Bind!"

"Pippp-Lup!"

"WHAT?!" Paul yelled as the beam hit Piplup, the blue pokemon glowed and sent back the attack at full power. It hit Ursaring full on and flew it into a hole.

_Cos you play the game, got what I got (Get it Get it)  
Don't Stop It's a sure shot  
Aint no ferrari huh boy I'm sorry  
I ain't even worried  
So step inside and ride  
(ride, ride, ride, ride, ride...)_

_So if you feel me let me know, know, know  
Come on now what you waiting for, for, for  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go, go_

Dawn winked at Paul and Paul looked at her, he was mad, extremely mad.

_Got you where you wanna go if you know what i mean  
Got a ride that smoother than a limosine  
Can you handle the curves? Can you run all the lights?  
If you can baby boy then we can go all night _

Cos I'm 0 to 60 in three point five  
Baby you got the keys- 

Dawn glanced over and saw Paul standing there, furious. As she looked at him, only one thing stood in her mind:

"_God, He's so cute when he's mad…" _

----

Sakura slowly walked through the forest, whimpering with each step she took. She was cold, hurt, and afraid. Tears still were falling from her eyes but not as hard this time.

"…Maybe if I keep walking around, I'll run into the Park. Then I can go home and find mommy and daddy!" Sakura spoke to herself quietly. That little bit of hope was the only thing keeping her from complete hysterics.

"Gaa…"A voice from behind her echoed. The very sound sent chills down her spine.

"Huh?!" Sakura cried as she spun around, only to find no one behind her. There were also no footprints imprinted into the ground either besides hers. Nervously, she turned around and kept walking. A cold air breathed against her neck, causing her to walk faster. The air was soon followed by deep breathing, Sakura started to run.

"Leave me alone!" She cried, obviously scared. She turned around to see again no one. Sakura whimpered to herself and turned around, only to be licked right up her face. Her muscles froze and her face twitched. She looked to see a Ghastly right in front of her face!

"AHHHHHH!" Sakura screamed, pushing ahead of the ghost pokemon and began desperately to run to a light facing out of the forest.

"GHASSSTLLLY." The pokemon hissed as it followed the poor girl with delight. Sakura hated ghost pokemon, she HATED them. She always had and always will. She kept running, her heart pacing.

"GAAAA!" It cried, breathing cold air down her neck.

"NO!!" Sakura cried as she shoved past the last few remaining trees, running into the sunlight. The pokemon recalled towards the sun and floated away but Sakura was not aware. She kept running with her eyes shut from fright, and kept screaming, hopefully to scare the pokemon away.

She was completely unaware that she was running straight towards the cliff.

-----

Ursaring stood on a small plot on land completely surround by a huge ring of holes. It was trapped, plus it didn't help it was completely weak from all the attacks it put on Piplup. To make matters worse, Dawn had filled all the holes with water to prevent it from escaping.

Paul stood there, annoyed. Ash has never beaten him yet, but he was going to let his little companion beat him?!

"Piplup!-" Dawn began, excited that she was going to finally beat Paul.

"Mommy! Daddy! Help me!" A cry cut her off. Instantly, Dawn's body froze. Something came over her and she glanced over at the cliffs where the voice came from. A small girl was running straight towards the cliffs and she wasn't stopping! At this rate, she would fall!

"-Return!" Dawn commanded as she returned her blue pokemon, right in the middle of battle.

"What the hell-"Paul began but was cut off by Dawn running right past him.

"Dawn?!" Ash and Brock called out in unison.

"Pika?!" Pikachu cried out.

"T-The girl! I have to help her!" She cried as she ran to the cliffs. She didn't care anymore. When she heard the cry, everything else didn't seem so important anymore. All she wanted to was to help her, to _save_ her. She couldn't help it, she felt like she _had_ to.

Sakura continued to cry until she lost her footing, her eyes widen and her tears instantly stopped. The heel of her foot slid and she found herself falling backwards towards the valley below, off the cliff.

"Gotcha!" Dawn yelled as she grasped Sakura's small hand just in time. Dawn slumped forward as she held the girl by the hand. Sakura dangled off the cliff, the only thing keeping her up was Dawn's hand.

"D-Don't l-let go!" Sakura whimpered as she held on for dear life.

"Don't worry! I won't!" Dawn panted, still exhausted from the run. Unfortunately for Dawn, her arms were too weak to hold herself up and Sakura suddenly became very heavy. Her body tumbled forward as well but was caught by something around her waist.

"Stupid girl!" Paul shouted as he restrained his arms around her waist, keeping both Sakura and Dawn from falling. When he saw Dawn running, at first he was going to walk away and say the battle never happened, but when he saw the girl in trouble something came over him as well. Somehow, emotions he buried deep inside him resurfaced and he too ran to help her. For a split second, the young girl was all he could care for.

In a normal situation, Dawn would be bright crimson by now, having Paul hold her like this. But now all she cared for was keeping the girl safe, and that's all the matters. She held on tight to Sakura's grip. Sakura kept whimpering, crying out every time Dawn's grip would loosen.

"Guys!" Ash and Brock yelled after, running up to the trio. The ground underneath Paul suddenly crumbled, causing him to fall forward as well.

"Dawn! Paul!" They both shouted.

"Pika Pii!"

Dawn lost her grip and fell forward, causing Paul to as well. Ash and Brock ran up to them in fear, but they were too late.

They could only watch Sakura, Dawn, and Paul fall hopelessly down the deep and dark valley below…

----

Omg, that's like the LONGEST chapter I've written, ever! Woah, Cliff-hanger! I really liked this chapter because it's when Sakura meets Dawn and Paul! Okay well, she didn't technically _meet _them yet but you get the idea. I apologize if the battle was a little suckish but I thought it was okay, at least when I read it. Shut up and Drive by Rihanna seemed to fit good with the scenario and I _love_ that song! So that's why I picked it. Please review and see you next time!


	4. Chapter 4: A Promise

Happy Holidays everyone!! Was this too long of a wait? Sorry,

Lol! Well, I'm going to put up this chapter than I'm going to work on **It Only Comes Once in a Lifetime**. Then I'll just switch back and forth until I pass out, all for my faithful readers! Alright I know you're all anxious to see what happens to Paul, Dawn, and Sakura, so here it is! Chapter 4!

* * *

"_**KYA!!**_ Dawn screamed as she plummeted down to the ground below. The air was rushing past her, blowing her hair and skirt in every direction.

"_This is the end, this is the end!_" Dawn screamed inside her head as she shut her eyes._ "I'll never be a top coordinator! I'll never surpass Kenny! I'll never see my pokemon or family again! I wasn't even able to help-" _

"_**AHHH! NO! Mommy, Daddy**_ Sakura screamed as she did exactly what Dawn did, wailing around and screaming in mid-air.

Dawn's eyes snapped opened and she saw Sakura screaming as she fell. Her eyes were shut and her lavender hair was flailing in every direction. Tears sprang out from her eyes as looked down at the ground, which was rapidly approaching.

Dawn suddenly forgot all of her fear and tried reaching for her, but Sakura was out of reach. She tried to call out for the girl but the air pressure and plain fright kept her voice from escaping through her lips.

Dawn limps went weak, and her eyes were filled with tears. She felt exactly how a mother felt when she can't help her child in need. There was nothing she could do. She felt so…hopeless.

Paul glanced over at Dawn and sighed, he was already concentrating on the ground, looking for the easiest way to reach the bottom safely. However, Dawn was too busy concentrating on the young girl to even brace herself!

"_Stupid Girl!" _Paul thought as he reached out for Dawn and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"W-what are you doing?!" Dawn exclaimed as she tried to struggle out of Paul's grasp but she couldn't, his grip was too strong. Her face turned a dark crimson as he held her tight and swiftly jumped off small ledges to break their fall.

"Keeping you alive!" He exclaimed in an annoyed tone.

"I-I don't care! The girl! She's-" Dawn argued but was cut off by Paul lifting her up and placing her bridal style in his arms while he continued to jump from ledge to ledge.

"H-Hey! Put me down this instant!" Dawn exclaimed even louder, her face dead red as a tomato. She flailed around in Paul's arms, her arms pounding on Paul's chest.

Paul looked down at her and smirked, "Fine." He said swiftly and dropped her. Fortunately for Dawn, they were already a small distant from the ground. Paul landed swiftly on his feet and stood there smirking.

_**THUD**_

Dawn fell flat on her butt, right in a pile of mud. The mud splattered and she became drenched from head to toe, Paul glanced over and smirked even harder.

"Owww…"Dawn wailed as she helped herself up, she stood there angrily at Paul. He was going to get it; he was _**definitely **_going to get it!

Dawn stomped directly up to him and got right in his face. Paul seemed unfazed by this and kept his cold expression.

"_Y-Y-YOU! HOW COULD YOU LET ME FALL?!WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET ME GO?! HUH?!"_ She bellowed, her demon eyes seeming to resurface once again.

"You told me too." Paul simply said as he looked the other way, this was too funny for him.

"Why I ought to-!"

"Mommy, Daddy! Help!A voice shrilled from above the two trainers.

Dawn gasped and looked up. There stood-or hanged- Sakura who's dress got caught on a branching sticking out of the cliff about 40 feet above the ground.

"Oh no! Hang on!" Dawn cried as she reached for her bag, hoping to grasp a poke ball. She felt around and felt nothing…

"_No! I must've left them at the camp!"_ Dawn thought as she raced for another way to save the poor girl. She heard Paul mutter a curse under his breath as he looked for his bag.

"Where are your pokemon?!" Dawn complained, putting her arms on her hips.

"I dropped my bag when I ran to help-" Paul began but stopped mid-sentence before he even finished his sentence.

"You what? Oh, please speak louder for all of us to hear!" Dawn slyly cooed, causing Paul to shoot her an angry glare. Paul wasn't the type to help anyone, EVER. Having him say that was music to Dawn's ears.

_**SNAP**_

The branch snapped, causing Paul and Dawn to look up in horror. Sakura gasped as she plummeted to the ground. Tears filled her eyes as she screamed in terror.

"_Mommy!" _Sakura cried as she rapidly approached the ground. She was never going to see her mother again. Sakura remembered how her mother always made her feel happy; how she had always made sure that she got extra sweets at dinner. How she always dressed her up in the frilliest dresses. And how she would always bring Sakura to her contest battles, saying how Sakura is her "little cheerleader".

Then Sakura thought of her father; how whenever he came home from a new region, he'd bring her a brand new souvenir. How he would always let her play with his pokemon whenever he wasn't home. And especially how they'd always pull pranks on her mother when she'd come home.

"_Daddy…"_Sakura whimpered in her thoughts. Her mind drifted towards the day her parents' decided to take her to the park for her birthday…how happy they were…

She was never going to see them again...

"_Whenever you are falling or anything like it from a very high height, focus and calm down. Everything will become much easier for you to find the safest way down."_

Sakura's eyes snapped opened as she remembered. Her father's advice! Why hasn't she thought of this before?! Sakura nodded to herself to show her confidence, to prove it to herself.

She calmed down and focused hard on the grassy ground, her vision seemed to become clearer and the details of the earth seemed more vivid. Almost instinctively, Sakura bended her back towards the earth, kicked her legs over her head, and flipped forward. She positioned her legs firmly together and swiftly landed to the ground but staggered a little bit to stand still.

"W-Wow! Daddy's advice worked!" Sakura cheered as she hopped up and down excitedly.

"I'm so glad your okay!" Dawn cried as she ran up to the girl and hugged her tight. Sakura stopped jumping up and down and paused, this felt so familiar…

Paul stood there, his eyes widened. How did a small five year-old know how to do that?!

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Dawn said with a worried tone on her face, checking Sakura for any injuries.

"I-I'm fine…" Sakura answered shyly.

"W-What's wrong?" Dawn sympathized to the young girl.

"Mommy and daddy told me never to talk to strangers…"

"Oh! Of course, they're right! My name's Dawn and the idiot over there is Paul!" Dawn smiled cheerily as she pointed to Paul.

"What did you call me?!" Paul shouted.

Dawn got up and stuck her tongue out at the boy. "Nothing that's not true!" She teased, Sakura laughed under her breath.

"Now what's your name?" Dawn sweetly asked her as she dropped down to eye level again. Sakura hesitated as she looked at Dawn; there was something…so familiar about her… like she could trust her.

"S-S-Sakura…"

"Sakura! Ooh! I love that name!" Dawn said as she embraced the small girl, Sakura giggled.

"Now we're not strangers anymore!" Sakura cheered as she embraced Dawn, Dawn laughed and agreed with her.

"Sakura…Where are your parents?" Paul abruptly said as he approached the two.

Dawn looked at Sakura and Sakura could tell she wanted to know that too.

"M-Mommy...and...D-Daddy…they're-they're….WAHHHH!" Sakura cried as she fell back into Dawn's embrace.

"Mommy and daddy! They t-told me not to run away, b-but I did! I didn't mean to wander off! I would've never if-if!" Sakura whimpered, causing Dawn's shirt to get all wet from her tears.

"It-It's okay!" Dawn said, trying _anything_ to calm down the poor girl. "We will help you find your parents!"

"R-Really?" Sakura asked through her hiccups as she looked up at Dawn.

"Yup!" Dawn agreed with a smile.

"What do you mean _we?_" Paul butted in, obviously annoyed.

"Yes, We! How can you be so heartless, even for you Paul, to not help her? She's so cute!" Dawn squealed as she embraced Sakura like a teddy bear.

"Taking care of some snot-nosed kid is not on my to-do list." Paul said as he began to walk away.

"_SNOT-NOSED?!" _Sakura screamed, her eyes becoming flaming red.

Paul turned around and stared at her, surprised. Sakura simmered down and began to cry.

"Sakura?" Dawn comforted as she asked the girl what was wrong.

"I'm-I'm sorry! Daddy says I should never make a huge outburst like t-that! But Mommy says I can't help i-it!" She whimpered

"Your mommy is right, you can't help it! Sometimes you have too!" Dawn agreed, glaring at Paul.

"Mommy...Daddy...WAHHH!" Sakura began to cry again, obviously being reminded of her parents makes her cry.

"D-Don't Cry! Paul and I are going to find your mommy and daddy! I promise!"

"P-Promise?" Sakura asked

"Uh-huh!"

"Who said I'm going to help?!" Paul yelled, annoyed that no one was listening to him.

"Fine! Then Me and Sakura are going this way, I'll find her parent's by myself!" Dawn declared as she put Sakura on her back piggy-back style and went the opposite direction Paul was going.

"Wrong way you idiot." Paul said, without even looking at Dawn.

"I knew that!" Dawn yelled back as she turned around and walked ahead of Paul.

Paul sighed and kept a steady pace with Dawn. Dawn saw this and smiled triumphantly.

"Thanks, Paul!" She thanked with a huge smile.

"Whatever."

Sakura looked at the two and smiled, they both seemed so familiar to her…

She looked onward and her heart skipped a few beats.

" _Mommy, Daddy! I'm going to see you again! Just wait!" _Sakura thought happily as she rested her head on top of Dawn's.

"_Just you wait…"_

* * *

" _Helllloooo?_" Ash shouted down the cliff, hoping to hear a response.

" Pikkkkaaaa!" Pikachu shouted, copying its master.

"Ash, I don't think they hear you." Brock confirmed as he finished packing up the camp.

" Do you think they're alright?" Ash said as she got up, pikachu hoping on his shoulder.

" I'm pretty sure they are, after all, they have Paul with them." Brock said, "Besides, they're probably going to head west where the valley and that path meet." He mentioned as he pointed to a path.

"Alright! Then let's go meet them! Hey, um. How long is it going to take?" Ash asked.

" About a few days…so we should head out early."

"Alright!" Ash said, pumped.

" Pika!"

* * *

Well , there it is! Sorry if it was a little short compared to the last chapter , ( who am I kidding , everything is going to be short compared to the last chapter ,lol! ) well , did you guys find some things that Sakura inherited from Dawn and Paul ? Lol , I think it was a little obvious. I'm going to be taking suggestions on what you guys want Sakura to mention about her parents in any way that might embarrass Dawn and Paul. I sorta have writers block and I'll credit you if I decide to use it! Alright, Happy Holidays everyone and I'll see you next chapter! Please review!


	5. Chapter 5: Just Like Mommy and Daddy!

Hey everyone! I'm sooooo soooooo sorry for the late review! I honestly did not mean it! I was just so occupied with an amv I was making and I was thinking about updating it only comes once in a lifetime but I'm stuck on that so yeah, I'm taking a break!

Paul: Excuses.

Me: You! You shut up! I wanted to start this sooner but the amv was taking loads of space on my computer and I had to finish it!

Dawn: Yeah Paul! Leave her alone!

Paul: You're just saying that because you're in it!

Me: Hey so are you, lol! Well, Time to start chapter 5 of A Precious Bond! Dawn do the disclaimer!

Dawn: why can't Paul do it?

Paul: Cause I wouldn't even if she forced me.

Me:gasp Now you're doing the disclaimer Paul!

Paul: or?

Me: Or I'm going to write a fanfiction where you and dawn can't help but think of each other in _certain_ ways!

Paul and Dawn: OH GOD!

Me: Now do it!

Paul: **HARVESTGIRL10 DOES NOT OWN POKEMON OR ITS CHARACTERS. SHE DOES OWN SAKURA, DAMAR, AND THE MYSTERIOUS WOMAN HOWEVER!**

Me: Thank you! Now, on with the story!

* * *

"Hurry up! I do not have time to wait for some troublesome girl!" Paul shouted lazily back towards Dawn, who was trying to keep up with the fast trainer.

"_WHAT?!" _Dawn screeched, causing Sakura to cover her ears with her hands. "That's _so_ sexist! I can walk just as fast as any guy!"

"_Really?_" Paul smirked as he stopped, "Then WHY am I the one who is waiting for YOU?!"

"You're not the one piggy-backing Sakura!" Dawn shouted out again, her eyes flaming.

Paul simply smirked again, "Did I make the stupid decision to piggy-back her? When you should know that it's going to take days and strength to get out of this valley?"

Dawn stopped walking, her jaw and eyes wide. She was about to counter when Sakura interrupted with giggles.

"Hmm? Sakura?" Dawn asked as she looked over her shoulder.

Sakura grinned while laying her head against Dawn's back and said "You two sound just like Mommy and Daddy do!" Sakura giggled, "You're so silly!"

Dawn and Paul stared at her but Sakura didn't notice, she was too caught up with her daydreams of her parents.

Dawn turned her head back towards the road, a bright red on her face. '_D-Do Paul and I really sound like t-that?" _

Dawn nervously glanced her direction towards Paul to see his reaction, but he seemed to just shrug it off and kept walking like nothing happened.

Sakura popped her head up and looked towards Paul.

"Aren't you going to kiss her now like Daddy does to Mommy?" She asked confused.

Paul and Dawn both came to a sudden halt. Dawn turned deep tomato red and Paul almost tripped over his feet, red in the face as well.

"W-W-What?" Dawn asked the small purple-headed girl, who seemed just as confused as Dawn was.

"When mommy and daddy fight, they walk away from each other for a short while then daddy always comes back in and says he's sorry to mommy! Then mommy disagrees, saying she's sorry! Then they just kiss! It's so yucky! I don't know why they do it! Whenever I ask them, they just say that they love each other and they can't help it! "Sakura mentioned

Dawn flushed; did she and Paul really bicker like a married couple? Her heart skipped a few beats when Paul spoke up,

"Sorry Sakura, but I would never want kiss Dawn," Paul began in a normal monotone as if it was a typical conversation. Dawn's heart sank as those words came out of his mouth.

'_He'd n-never want to kiss me?"_ Dawn thought with dread.

"I really don't know where those lips have been." Paul finished as he walked ahead.

"_WHAT?!_"Dawn screamed after him, her eyes a burning flame once again

"With a skirt that short, honestly, you'd never know!"Paul smirked as he kept walking.

"_HOW DARE YOU?! YOU SAY THAT TO MY FACE!_"

"_I just did_." Paul taunted, keeping his eyes on the path.

"_ARGH! _I'll let you know this skirt is not short-! Hey, wait a minute…" Dawn began, putting her index finger to her lips in a thinking gesture.

Paul smirked at the girl and glanced over his shoulder, there was no way she would win the conversation.

"**Why were you even looking at my skirt in the first place if it's so short?**" Dawn innocently asked, her face a deep crimson.

Paul stopped in his tracks, a visible blush on his face. For once, he couldn't say anything.

"Huh?" Sakura asked as she tilted her head her head to the side "I don't get it…."

"N-Nothing Sakura!" Dawn quickly explained to the naïve child, her crimson slowly fading to a light pink.

"Yeah, let's move on to another topic." Paul mentioned as he sweat-dropped.

"Of course! That's what you want!" Dawn shouted, pointing her finger at the trainer.

"Whatever." He simply replied, causing Dawn's mouth to hang open.

'_How dare he! First he says how my skirt is too short, then he doesn't even deny looking at it, then he just blows it off!' _Dawn fumed in her thoughts.

Suddenly, Sakura burst into a huge giggle fit. Dawn and Paul looked over curiously at the girl.

"You're both so silly! Just like Mommy and Daddy!"

* * *

"Have you successfully capture Celebi?" A lone figure on the head monitor asked Damar and his crew.

"Yes, Master Cyrus," Damar bowed, "It will arrive at headquarters in a matter of a few days." Damar gestured for a mini-screen of Celebi to appear on the main monitor. Celebi had been taken out of its tube-like prison and was placed in a laboratory capsule, filled with green liquid. Inside, Celebi was connected to many wires and cords that dangled all over its body. However, through all this, it seemed to be sleeping peacefully in the liquid.

"Excellent. I highly anticipate the arrival. That is all." The monitor shut off and as soon as it did, Damar let out a big sigh.

"Your job is almost over. Soon, he would no longer need your assistance." The mysterious woman reminded him in a blank monotone, her features where still encased in shadows.

Damar gave out a gruff and shouted to his crew "Full force! We reach docks before tomorrow's sundown, hear me?! If a pokemon gets in the way, don't hold back."

Damar slumped back down in his chair and looked onward. "You must be anxious to get this over with too? After all you-"

The woman gave him an angry deep glare and slapped him hard against his cheek. Damar just froze in place from the outburst, not looking in her eyes.

"Remember your place!" She shouted as she ran back towards the back rooms. She ran towards a room where Celebi was located and she looked long and hard at the poor pokemon. The mysterious woman fell to her knees, her muscles shaking.

"…I…love…my job!" She cried to herself, hoping that the lies would make truth. She put her hands to her face, her hair flailing over her shoulders.

'_I'm …sorry…I'm…so sorry!'_

* * *

Cyrus sat in a throne like chair, behind a huge office desk. He sat there intently, looking at a picture of Celebi and two huge pokemon.

"Master Cyrus!" A blue hair spiky man came bursting in, with papers in his hands.

"Commander Saturn, honestly…There's not need to be in a rush." Cyrus explained coolly, just like a patient father.

"Sorry sir!" He exclaimed panting, "We just received word that _it's_ ready!"

Cyrus's eyes perked up and gradually took the files from Saturn's hands. He read them over and smirked.

"Took them long enough." Was all he said.

"Sir? May I ask, What do you plan on doing with Celebi afterwards?"

Cyrus let out an evil laugh and gave the young commander a you-really-don't-know look.

"Dispose of it." Cyrus looked over the picture again, which seemed to be faded with age. He traced his fingers along the two giant pokemon next to it.

"After all, it is only a mere _key_ to the real treasure."

* * *

"My feet hurt!" Dawn complained as she kept up with Paul. Paul looked over at her and muttered "Troublesome girl" under his breath.

"I-I think I can walk now, Dawn." Sakura mentioned, hoping to lift her burden.

"That's okay Sakura!" Dawn replied cheerily, "I think they're feeling better now-OW!" Dawn shouted when her feet pounded hard against a rough surface.

"The sun is setting; we'd better set up camp." Paul said as he stopped walking.

"No way! I can keep going!" Dawn complained.

"Idiot. It's already sundown. It'd be dangerous to travel at night in this valley." Paul told her like it was basic math.

"Ugh! Just shut up!" She cried as she gently let Sakura down.

Paul and Dawn both exchanged angry glares while Sakura looked down at her dress. She whimpered as she saw that most of the pink turned into a light brown.

"Sakura? Is there something wrong?" Dawn asked the poor girl, completely ignoring Paul's presence.

"M-My dress! …Mommy …would be mad…that I ruined my play dress!" Sakura cried as she fell to her knees.

"I don't see anything wrong with it." Paul mentioned.

"I-It's supposed to be pink!" Sakura whimpered.

Paul mouthed 'oh' and Dawn ran to the poor girl.

"Oh dear! Don't worry! I'll clean it for you!

"R-R-Really?"

"Uh-huh! There has to be a lake or something close by." Dawn said as she looked around.

"And I think your going to need a bath too!" Dawn pointed out to Sakura's wrangled hair.

"AWWW!" Sakura moaned as Dawn took her to the nearby lake.

Paul was left at the site to set everything up. He cursed under his breath. Of course, _He_ had to do everything.

* * *

So, did you guys like it? Sorry if it was a litte on the short side. I liked to thank **Tomoyo Kinomoto **for the beginning segment where Paul has to wait for Dawn and Sakura claims they act like her parents! Thank you so much! Oh , and thanks **L'il Miss Yuki **I incorporated the " aren't you going to kiss her ?" in their as well ! If I hadn't got to any of your suggestions, then they will probably be in the future chapters.

Paul: Ha, if you remember.

Me: SHUT UP! Of course I will!

Paul: How are you so sure?

Me: Cause next Wednesday is my birthday! And I'm going to want to update everything on that day!

Dawn: gasp it's your birthday soon? Happy Birthday HarvestGirl10!

Me: Not yet! On the 23rd! So I'm going to give my reviewers a treat aka more chapters! Please review and I'll see you next time!


	6. Chapter 6: The Starly and the Combee

Another update! See? I told you I would update on my birthday!

Dawn: Happy birthday!!

Me: Thankies!

Me :…( glares at Paul)

Paul: _What!?_

Dawn: Say happy birthday to her!

Paul: Why should I!?

Me: (begins typing out loud) Paul glanced over at Dawn and his eyes couldn't help but _travel_ down to her-

Paul: ALRIGHT STOP! HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY!

Me: Aw, you didn't have to! (smiles) Alrighty now, Dawn you do the disclaimer this time!

Dawn: Okay! **HARVESTGIRL10 DOES NOT OWN POKEMON OR THE CHARACTERS! SHE DOES OWN SAKURA, DAMAR, AND THE MYSTERIOUS WOMAN HOWEVER! **

Me: On with the story! Oh and in this chapter, you'll find out why some parts in this story is rated T!

* * *

"Now tilt your head back, Sakura." Dawn instructed to the small girl as she pour water over her head. Sakura shivered as the cold water slashed on top of her body.

"I-It's coollllddddd!" Sakura complained as she shivered in the water.

"I know," Dawn said sympathetically, "But we're almost done, just try not to think about it so much, okay?"

"O-Okay…"Sakura managed to say through her shivers.

Dawn poured more water onto Sakura's shampooed head; however, she saw the girl's shivers and began to sing a song to cheer her up, she sang:

_Rub a dub dub_

_I'm in a tub! _

"…_Make….the dirt…wash away…_" Sakura sung under her breath, too low for Dawn to hear. Oblivious to the girl's singing, Dawn kept singing.

_And now let's play! _

_A mermaid in her own sea_

"…_Best friends forever, you and me!_" Sakura sung out loud, causing Dawn to look at the girl, surprised.

"You know the bath-time song?" She asked tilting her head to the side, bewildered.

"Uh huh! Mommy sings it to me every time I take a bath!" Sakura explained, splashing around giddily in the water.

"_Really?_ Wow! When I was your age, my mommy sang the same song to me too!" Dawn commented, a smile on her face.

They both laughed, and Dawn continued to help bath Sakura. She washed away the last few bits on suds in Sakura's hair and wrapped a towel around the purple-headed girl.

_Watch out! _

_Now I'm all clean! _

Dawn finished as she poked the girl's nose playfully.

"_Now let's show off to the world for all to see!" _Sakura sang happily. She took Dawn's hand and was led back to the camp. However, on the way there, Dawn's mind kept racing.

"_How does Sakura now that song? How could she? Didn't I make it up with mom? Oh, stop over exaggerating Dawn! I'm sure there's a logical reason to it all…"_

Dawn led back to the camp, only to find an annoyed Paul working over a pile of sticks.

"Something wrong, Paul?" Dawn asked as she sat Sakura down to comb out her hair.

"None of your business!" He shouted as he tried to start a fire.

Dawn pouted and stuck her tongue out at the boy; she grabbed a comb from her bag and began combing Sakura's hair.

"_Excuse me._" Dawn retorted as she kept her sight on Sakura, who looked worried.

Dawn looked at Paul and her eyes softened, "_He must've been so used to Chimchar starting the fire for him…_"

Finally, a huge flamed sparked and Paul got the fire going. He stood up and began walking away.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Dawn yelled after him, annoyed.

"Going to get fire wood, troublesome girl! Do you honestly think the fire would stay for the whole night?" Paul retorted back towards Dawn, annoyed as well.

Dawn stuck her tongue out again and returned to combing Sakura's hair.

"Why is he such a meanie?" Sakura asked as she sat patiently while her hair was being combed.

Dawn sighed, "If you ever find out, tell me." The thing was Dawn _really _wanted to know that as well. Why was he so mean? There had to be a reason behind it, right? Besides becoming a top coordinator, Dawn's second biggest dream was too break Paul's ice wall.

But then again…if that was even possible…

Dawn did the last touches on Sakura's hair and sat her near the fire for it to dry.

"OOhhhhh, why did I have to leave my blow-dryer back with Ash and Brock?" Dawn complained as she looked through her bag. "It would have made this so much easier!"

"Ash?Brock?"

"Oh! That's right; you'd never met them before! Well they're my traveling companions who I travel throughout Sinnoh with!" Dawn happily replied as she dug harder into her bag.

"Eh? You mean you don't travel with Paul?" Sakura asked, confused.

Dawn's face turned red and looked towards the girl.

"_I wish!_" Dawn's inner-self pleaded.

"N-N-No!" Dawn quickly explained, waving her hands in the air, "You see, when we fell off that cliff, I got separated from everyone and Paul just happened to fall off too!"

"Then…why was Paul there?"

"Oh, he's Ash's rival. We occasionally run into him from time to time and he battles Ash…" Dawn voice drifted off into a dreamy state as closed her eyes, visualizing her words.

Sakura rolled her eyes, laughing. "_She's so silly!_" Sakura giggled in her head.

Dawn snapped back to reality and turned pink from how embarrassing she must sound.

" Well Sakura, I'm going to take my bath now, so please stay here and wait for Paul to come back. If he asks were I am, just tell him that I'm taking a bath, okay?" Dawn said as she stood up towards the direction of the lake.

"Okay!"

"Oh, here" Dawn said as she handed Sakura her poketch. "You can play with my poketch while I'm gone. It'll be fun because it's one of the latest!" Dawn sweetly said as she watched the girl fumble around with it.

"Silly!" Sakura giggled as she played with the poketch. "This isn't the latest; this one is really really old! My mommy has a newer one!" She giggled as Dawn's jaw dropped.

"_Note to self: Buy the latest poketch next time we're in town!_" Dawn noted quickly in her head. She just laughed it off and began walking towards the lake.

"Remember Sakura, Don't move a muscle!" Dawn called out behind her.

"Don't worry, I won't!" Sakura shouted back, eagerly amused by Dawn's Poketch Coin-toss feature

After about 10 minutes, Paul returned with a load of logs in his hands. He settled them by the fire and looked at Sakura, then around the camp, then at Sakura again.

"You." He said to the girl, too careless to even acknowledge her name. "Where's Dawn?"

Sakura pointed her finger towards the direction Dawn headed, without even keeping her eyes off the poketch. Paul brushed it off and walked towards the direction the girl pointed.

"Wee! This is so fun!" Sakura shouted with glee as Paul left, referring to the amusing coin game.

"I should ask for one when-" Sakura began but was cut off by a screeching scream.

"_**AHHH!! GO AWAY! YOU PERVERT! GET OUT, PAUL! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!"**_

Sakura looked up from the small device just in time for Paul to come running out, completely red in the face. He looked at Sakura and gave her an angry glare, causing Sakura's spine to shiver but she just let out a laugh instead "Heehee! You're as red as a Cherri berry!"

"_**Why you-**_"Paul began but was cut off by huge stomping feet, approaching quickly behind him. Dawn appeared behind him, soaking wet from head to toe, her clothes wrinkled. You could tell she slipped them on quickly. Her hat was clutched in her hands, her hair soaking wet, not even put back in clips.

"_H-H-HOW DARE YOU!_ I WAS TAKING A BATH AND YOU JUST WALKED IN ON ME! DIDN'T SAKURA TELL YOU?!" Dawn fumed as her eyes turned a flaming red.

"LIKE I KNEW! ALL SHE DID WAS POINT TOWARDS YOUR DIRECTION AND I JUST ASSUMED-!"

"A-Assume what?!" Dawn screamed back, her tone becoming less aggressive and more embarrassed. "That I would be naked?! To get a _**good look?! **_"

"No! GOD! "Paul shouted back, sitting down next to the fire.

Dawn gave him an angry glare and sat down next to Sakura, helping her getting changed back into her freshly cleaned dress. But as Dawn did, her mind kept returning to the memory.

--Flash Back--

_Dawn poured more water onto her body, completely washing out all of the suds._

"_Alright now, I better return to the camp soon." She said to herself as she walked out of the lake and reached for a towel. _

_Just then, Paul walked in and saw her, __**nude.**__ His eyes widened and for a few seconds, Dawn just stood there as her mind processed the situation. _

"_**AHHH!! GO AWAY! YOU PERVERT!! GET OUT, PAUL! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!"**_ _Dawn screamed into realization, flushed with the deepest red you could imagine. _

* * *

Dawn turned red just thinking about it. She brushed Sakura's hair after it dried, hoping to calm herself down.

"_Kya!!_ _I'm so embarrassed!"_ Dawn cried in her head as she looked towards Paul, who seemed just as embarrassed. "I_ can't believe he saw me __**naked!**_"

Dawn set the brush down on the grass and stared at the fire, deep in thought.

"_I know that I'm only ten and that I really shouldn't have anything to hide but still!_" Dawn shouted in her head, but the thing was Dawn actually was one of the few girls her age that _did _have something to hide.

"_Damn it! Damn my body and its early developing!" _Dawn cursed in her head as she hung her head low.

"I don't get it! Hmmm, what's wrong with seeing someone naked?" Sakura naively asked, causing both Dawn and Paul to jump up, completely red.

"S-Sakura!" Dawn began, completely startled by her topic chose.

"What! I wanna know! Mommy and Daddy see me naked all the time!" Sakura whined, completely and totally naïve on how delicate the topic was.

"T-T-That's different!" Dawn began, looking over at Paul, who had shut his eyes, annoyed. Sakura tilted her head to the side in

an I-don't-understand gesture.

"Y-Y-Y-You see," Dawn began, stuttering on every word. "Only people who you really love and trust should see you er...um…well you know! Your parents will probably explain it when you're older!" Dawn rushed in a sentence, not completely excited on explaining such a thing to a five year-old.

"UGH! No, they won't! Cause the _last time_ I asked them something, they said that 'They'd tell me when I'm older'!" Sakura complained. She paused for a moment, and then looked at Paul and Dawn with hope.

"Hey! Maybe you guys can tell me!" Sakura rejoiced, happy to think of a way to find out whatever she wanted to know.

"_Leave me out of it._" Paul said, completely annoyed. He was still, however, recovering from the little peep-session he had with Dawn a while ago. Dawn shot him an annoyed look and turned her attention back to Sakura, who was eager to ask the question.

"Okay…" Dawn sighed, "What is it?"

"Yay! Okay, well, it'll make sense if I tell you the _whole_ story!"

_

* * *

__Sakura's eyes snapped opened as she awoke from her dream. Well of course it was hard for her to sleep; her father had just come back from another region! She was anxiously awaiting the next day, were they'd all go do something fun together!_

_She tried to go back to sleep but she just couldn't! She looked out her window and noticed how dark it still was; she sighed and rolled out of bed. She took a look around her bedroom, filled with stuffed pokemon dolls and such. Her pikachu night-lamp gave the room a yellowish tint in the moonlight, which made it easy for Sakura to reach her door. She walked into a __**huge**__ hallway and ran across the red carpeting and into a big bathroom. _

_Inside the bathroom was a shower/bath with pink poke ball patterns splattered across, a white porcelain toilet with a cute pokemon seat cover, and a white sink. Smiling, Sakura stepped on a small set of yellow stairs to reach the sink. _

_She filled up her wailmer mug and walked down. Yes, the girl did have her own bathroom since her parent's had their own in their own room. Sakura was really happy with it though, that meant she could decorate it any way she could! _

_After gently closing the door behind her, Sakura, with cup in hand, began walking down the __**huge**__ hallway towards her room until she heard a noise. Curious, Sakura walked towards her parents' door and heard the noise again, they she heard her mother spoke: _

"_Ugh, Honey. I don't think this is such a good idea." _

"_Hmm? Really? You're the one who practically begged for it." She heard her father smirk._

"_**What! **__You're the one who practically grabbed me after Sakura went to bed!"__Her mother began but was cut off by her father. _

"_Shh! You're going to wake Sakura if you're going to be so loud!" _

"_Humph. Fine, I'll __**try**__ to be quieter." _

_Sakura took her ear off the door and returned to her room, laughing quietly to herself._

"_Heehee! Mommy and Daddy are just so silly!" She whispered to herself in between giggles. Sakura closed her bedroom behind herself and set the mug on her nightstand. She laid herself in bed and instantly fell back to sleep. Completely oblivious to how naïve she was._

* * *

Sakura finished her story and looked at Dawn and Paul with eager ears. However, Paul and Dawn both had **EXTREMELY** red faces when she finished.

"Okay so, what did Mommy and Daddy mean? I asked but they turned all red and stuff! Hey! Just like you two are now!" Sakura laughed, causing the Dawn and Paul to blush even harder.

"U-Um S-Sakura, that's something you _really_ need to talk to your parents about." Dawn stuttered, she really did not want to give the child the starly and the combee talk!

"B-But they won't tell me! I _really wanna know!_" Sakura whined.

"Hmm, I'll tell her." Paul stated bluntly.

Dawn shot Paul a worried look and mouthed 'Go.Easy.' Paul looked back at her and smirked.

"Sakura, do you know were babies come from?" He smirked. Dawn gasped her jaw wide open.

"_**NOT THAT APPROACH!**_" Dawn screamed at him, wrangling his neck. He was NOT going to scar a poor child so early on in her life!

"Uh huh! Mommy and Daddy said that I came from Mommy's tummy!" Sakura happily answered, completely unaware of Dawn's outburst. She thought it was now just normal for Dawn and Paul to fight.

"Do you know how you got in your mommy's tummy?" Paul managed to say through Dawn's "death-choke". This caused Dawn to grow even more furious as she wrangled him even harder.

"H-Huh?" Sakura asked.

"_**THAT'S IT! I'M TAKING CONTROL OF THIS TOPIC!" **_Dawn yelled as she threw Paul to the ground and instantly containing her composure as she faced Sakura.

"Sakura sweetie. What your Mommy and Daddy were doing is something very special that two people do when they're in love and it's also very _**a**_ _**private and delicate matter.**_" Dawn said gently, aiming the last few words in a harsh tone towards Paul.

Sakura giggled, "Okay, that's all I wanted to know!"

"_Thank__** God**_Dawn thought as she wiped her forehead that had been sweating.

"Whatever. I'm going to bed." Paul said as he sat himself up against a log and closed his eyes.

"Sakura, I think it's time for you to go to bed too." Dawn said as she pulled out her sleeping bag from her bag.

"How many things do you have in there?!" Paul shouted in astonishment.

"Just about everything, even a ten-" Dawn gasped.

"Oh God. Here we go." Paul smirked, Sakura sighed as she knew what was coming next.

"_**I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I LEFT BEHIND MY TENT!**_"

* * *

That took longer than I thought! I guess I won't be able to update my other story until next time but oh well!

Paul: Was it really necessary to write that about Sakura's parents?!

Me: Write what?

Dawn: (sighs and points to Sakura's story)

Me: Oh! HAHA! Um, no I guess not…

Dawn and Paul: Then why add it!?

Me: Cause it would be hilarious! There's a reason why this story is rated T! I tried to down-play it a lot; I mean c'mon, lemons are just the grossest things ever!

Dawn: Then why were you blackmailing Paul about writing that fic?

Me: Oh, I was just playing with him (giggles).

Paul: WHAT!

Me: Who wants birthday cake!

Dawn: Oh OH! I DO I DO!

Me: Until next time and please review! (hands cake out to reader)


	7. Chapter 7: Long First Night

A Update

An Update! Yay! I know what your all thinking "Oh my god what took her so long?!" Well, um, I was kinda working on another ikarishipping fic called "Lady Marmalade: Sweet Sweet Revenge" and people really seemed to like it so I just kept at it until it was complete (sweat-drops). But nonetheless, my main focus shall be in this story until I finish it, I am determined!

_**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR ITS CHARACTERS. **_

_**ALL OCs BELONG TO ME. **_

Enjoy!

* * *

"Hmm…" Ash debated towards himself as he stared at a certain black bag. It was already nightfall and he and Brock decided it would be best to just set up camp, they could continue their search in the morning.

"Ash, what are you thinking?" Brock asked suspiciously as he looked up from a stew that he was preparing over the campfire, Ash broke from his concentration to face him.

"Nothing, it's just it was so unlike Paul to just drop his bag like that," He once again directed his attention towards the bag in front of him, "Plus…"

"_WHY DO I HAVE TO CARRY IT?!"_ Ash complained, totally breaking the quiet atmosphere that has befallen on the camp.

"Pika…" Pikachu sweat-dropped as it watched its trainer make a fool out of himself, _again._

"Ash, calm down." Brock said sternly, "We couldn't have just left it lay there. And besides, when we finally reach up with them we can just give it back to Paul."

Ash rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms, nothing to else to say. "I guess…" He mumbled. Brock chuckled as he continued to stir the stew.

"Still," Ash began once again as the day's events played in his mind, "It was so unlike the both of them…to just stop what they were doing like that…"

"I know what you mean…" Brock agreed as he didn't lift his eyes off his stew, "Paul, not even Dawn I think, would have gone to that length-ASH!" Brock scolded as he looked up at his traveling companion, who was digging his hands through Paul's bag.

"What?" He asked sheepishly as he froze in place, "I'm curious!"

"That gives you no right to invade someone else's privacy though!"

"Aw...fine!" He pouted as he tossed the bag to the side, but as he did, something odd fell out. It fell with a soft _**clink! **_

Pikachu's ears perked up as the event occurred. Its eyes trailed towards the bag and its eyes caught onto the odd object that seemed to glint in the firelight.

"Pii-Pikachu!" Pikachu cried towards Ash, trying to get his attention. Ash looked at his starter pokemon, confused.

"What is it Pikachu?" He asked as Pikachu flailed its arms at the shiny object on the ground. Curiosity once more taking over Ash, he went over to where the object had laid and picked it up.

"What is _this_…?" His eyes widened, his voice slightly confused.

* * *

"C'mon Sakura! Get back here!" Dawn shouted out as she chased Sakura all the small camp that Paul had set up.

"No!" Sakura cried as she kept running, she turned back towards Dawn and stuck her tongue out at her. Dawn stopped dead in tracks, sticking her tongue out as well.

"C'mon Sakura, you have to sleep!" Dawn put her hands on her hips, Sakura just stood there in a huge huff, her arms crossed.

"Nope!" She answered stubbornly as she raised her nose in the air snootily.

"Yes!" Dawn called out once again as she lunged towards the small girl, however, Sakura was too quick!

Paul, meanwhile, leaned against the log, _supposedly_ asleep. However, during the loud commotion, his eyebrow flinched a few times.

"_NO!!" _Sakura suddenly screamed as Dawn finally got hold of her. She picked the small girl up, whose legs were kicking, and headed towards the sleeping bag she has set out in front of her.

She set the girl down on the soft pink bag but Sakura was about to flee once more when Dawn grabbed her by the ankles!

"_NO!!" _Sakura continued to wail as she flailed her arms against the sleeping bag in defeat. "I can't go to sleep without mommy and daddy!" She finally cried, Dawn's eyes widened then softened sympathetically.

"Is that it…?" Dawn softly murmured as Sakura settled down. The small girl rubbed her hands against her wet eyes, trying to rub away her tears. Her purple bangs were covering her eyes and Sakura took no liberty into pushing them back.

"I thought…I might have found them already…" She whimpered softly as she tried her best to hold her tears, "I-It's not fair!" She finally cried out as she fell into Dawn's arms, burying her face into her shoulders.

At first, Dawn was taken back! She had no idea what to do! But yet somehow, some instinct that she never quite knew she had, took over her as she gently soothed the poor girl, rubbing her back.

"There, There..." She said softly, "I'm sure we'll find your parents in no time…"

Sakura sniffled a bit as she looked up at Dawn, "It's not fair…" She curled up into Dawn's lap like a little kitten, still crying slightly.

'_Why did the mean monster take me away from mommy and daddy?_' She whispered through her tears as she closed her eyes, drifting off into a slumber. She couldn't help it, Dawn's lap felt so warm, so comforting…

Almost like…

'_Sakura, it's time for bed!' _A sweet motherly voice called in Sakura's head.

'_Mommy…' _

* * *

"She's asleep," Dawn announced as she gently laid Sakura onto the sleeping bag and off of her lap. She glanced towards Paul, who was still leaning against the log.

He didn't respond.

"_Paul." _She called out his name, her voice a little bit more stern.

He still didn't respond. Annoyed, Dawn walked right up to him and stuck her face into his, but as soon as she did, her face turned a bright pink.

Dawn mentally smacked herself. Paul was asleep too!

His eyes were closed and he breathed at a regular rate, still blushing, Dawn scurried a few steps back. She couldn't be THAT close to him! What if he woke up!

"I-I should go to sleep…" Dawn said, but yet, she couldn't help but not look away. She had never seen Paul so…relaxed before…

Slowly, she inched towards him, and crouched down, studying his face. His mouth still had the usual scowl but yet…his eyes seemed much softer…than usual.

'_He seems like a completely different person…when he's asleep.' _

She inclined her head to the side, observing his features from a different angle.

'_He almost looks…kinda…' _Dawn thought as her heart rate sped up, '_kinda…cu-'_

"What are you doing?"

Dawn's thoughts immediately broke as she stared at Paul, whose usually expression was staring back at her. She felt her face burn up as she realized that her face was only nine inches away from his!

There was a long awkward pause as they both stayed like that for a couple moments before…

"Eh…" Dawn managed to say as she scurried as far to the other side of the camp as she could.

"Hmph, Pathetic." He smirked as he closed his eyes once more to return to sleep, that smirk still plastered across his lips.

"Argh! _Don't you call me 'pathetic'!" _Dawn whispered harshly towards him, being careful not to awake Sakura.

Paul simply opened one eye at her and smirked before turning to the side, his back towards her.

"I can call you whatever I feel like calling you. I mean, it's not like we have any more secrets, don't we?" He smirked, implying about the little peep session he had with Dawn. Dawn gasped, her blood boiled! Her nerves were shaking! Suddenly, she could no longer contain her anger…

"_I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"_ Dawn yelled as she charged at him, her anger taking control.

His back was still facing her as he leaned on the side of the tree trunk so Dawn put a tight grip on his left shoulder and thrust it towards her, forcing _him _to look at her. But as she did, she lost her footing as she pulled too hard!

_**THUMP!**_

Dawn slowly opened her eyes, curious on why she didn't feel the hard earthy surface but something soft instead….

Her eyes widened on what she had landed on!

_PAUL!_

She turned deep pink as she realized the small little situation that she had gotten herself into. Paul was facing her alright, but in the wrong way! He was still leaning against the tree, and yes, he was facing her, but she was _on top _of him! Both of her legs were on either side of him and he held her wrists tight in his hands, preventing her from falling any closer to him.

Dawn couldn't move her limbs! She might as well have been paralyzed!

There was a long silence as they both just stared at each other, deep in awe. Dawn's heart never raced so fast so hard!

'_His face…is so close to mine…' _

'_Her face…'_

"Why are you guys on top of each other like mommy and daddy?" That certain cute little voice giggled as Dawn and Paul both froze, a shocked and priceless expression on their face.

Paul immediately thrown Dawn off to the side with a loud thud as he regained his cool and stubborn demeanor. Dawn however, did not maintain hers so gracefully.

"S-S-Sakura!" Dawn blushed madly as she quickly sat back up from the shove Paul gave her. "I-I thought you were asleep!"

The said girl giggled at the two trainers, who were evidently quite embarrassed.

"I was! But then I heard lots of shouting and then I found you!" She continued to giggled as she approached Dawn, curling up in her lap again.

"You should go to bed again," Dawn pressed towards the small purple girl, who innocently looked up at her. "Everything's fine."

The small girl cuffed her small hand around her chin, a cute and serious expression on her face.

She was ignoring Dawn.

"Was that the special thing you told me about?" She naively asked towards Dawn and Paul, who once again, jumped!

"_N-NO!"_ They both defended quickly as they blushed, Sakura once again giggled.

"Right now at this age, we are currently incapable-" Paul began to explain to the girl but Dawn was quick to jab her fist into his gut!

"_**SHUT UP!!" **_She screamed at him, her eyes blazing!

"Heehee, you're both so funny!" She laughed as witnessed Paul and Dawn bicker back and forth. Once things were settled, Sakura once more sat in Dawn's lap.

"T-That's not it Sakura! You shouldn't openly discuss things like that!" She glared towards Paul, who looked the other way, his cold expression returning. "It's very unladylike" Dawn scolded gently as she ran her fingers through the small girl's hair.

"Phooey." Sakura giggled even more, Dawn sighed and rolled her eyes. Who knew that little girls can be so troublesome!

"Both of your faces are so red, just like a cherri berry!" Sakura pressed on with the subject against Dawn's will, "Just like the time when uncle brought me home from daycare and we found mommy and daddy in the same position you two were in on the couch!" She continued to laugh.

Dawn and Paul both turned furiously red!

"They were sooooo embarrassed!" The girl continued to laugh and laugh, poking much fun at the two.

"Sakura,' Paul finally spoke up after he recovered from Dawn's jab, "Time to go back to bed." He said firmly.

"But-!" Sakura tried to protest but Paul gave her a firm look,

"_Now." _Was all he said.

A strange feeling whooshed over the small girl. The tone of his voice, the look in his eyes…so familiar…

"_Sakura, your mother told you to go to bed. Need we negotiate?" _Her father's firm voice played through her head.

All of a sudden, Sakura meekly stood from Dawn's lap, Dawn's attention turned towards her.

"Sakura?"

"Yes, I-I'll go to bed now. I'm sorry." Sakura apologized as she bowed slightly to Paul before scurrying back to Dawn's sleeping bag, curling up under the covers.

After about a good fifteen minutes, a soft breathing could be heard, meaning that Sakura had fallen asleep.

"W-Wow…" Dawn stammered as she looked towards Paul, who shrugged.

"All you need is to be no-nonsense. God," He said as he repositioned himself against the tree trunk, his back facing towards Dawn, ready to go back into sleep.

"H-How did you…?"

"Troublesome, _go to sleep!" _He scolded towards _her _now. Dawn was taken back! She got up from the soft grass and was about to leave the stubborn boy, but before she did, she turned around to face him and stuck her tongue out playfully at him. After all, his eyes were _closed. _

_Like he could see her!_

"And stop sticking your dumb tongue at me, you're worse than the girl!" he scolded, his eyes still closed.

Dawn's jaw hung open.

"Hmph." Dawn huffed as she stuck her nose in the air, put her hands on her hips, and walked away.

Paul gave out a silent sigh of relief as he finally focused on his sleep. It was finally quiet…no screaming, no annoying girl, no snot-nosed kid, just _**peace and quiet.**_

But then…

_**CRASH!**_

"Ow…" Dawn mumbled in pain.

Now it would be suspected of Paul to snap his eyes open and see what caused the loud crash.

But he didn't, he could care less.

"_Nice." _He said sarcastically, smirking, eyes still closed.

And that was the last thing he said before he _FINALLY_ got to sleep.

_Sakura's eyes blinked open as she observed her surroundings. Where was she? _

_It was white, almost everything and everywhere was white. The only thing standing out in live vivid color was many scattered cheer blossom trees, the blossoms drifting in the nonexistent wind…_

"_Dawn..? Paul…?" She called out to her friends but they were no where to be seen! Her voice echoed in the deep vastness that seemed to befallen onto the area. _

_She took a few steps in front of her and with each step; the blossoms became more and more vivid. _

"_Mommy…? Daddy…?" She called out this time for her parents, tears welling up in her small cerulean eyes. Her steps now became quick paces, which eventually turned into a run. _

"_Mommy! Daddy!" She cried out even louder this time! She had this feeling, a feeling that her parent's were here! _

_She kept running, as much as her feet would carry her. She looked back and forth, all she could see was cherry blossom trees! _

_Where were her parents?!_

"_Sakura?!" A distressed voice called out, the said girl stopped dead in her tracks. That voice…belonged to her mother!_

"_Mommy!" She cried out happily as she looked around. _

"_Sakura!" Another voice, but this time it belonged to her father! _

"_Daddy!" She cried out, overjoyed. Tears of happiness sprawled out of her eyes as she raced towards the voices. _

_She couldn't believe it! She had found her parents! She had finally found them!_

_She kept running and running until two figures adorned in pure white came into view. Her face lit up as she recognized the figures! _

"_Mommy! Daddy!" She cried out towards them. _

"_I-I can't find her anywhere!" Her mother panicked towards her husband. _

"_I'm right here!" Sakura called out as she drew closer to the pair._

"_She has to be around her somewhere…" Her father tried to reason as he looked around. _

_Her mother began to break down into a sob._

"_Mommy, don't cry! I'm right here!" Sakura cried out with worry as she finally reached them, but as she did, they didn't notice her at all! _

"_Don't cry, that's not going to help anything." Her father said as he continued to look around once more, a frustrated look in his eyes. _

"_B-But I'm right here!" Sakura cried out, her voice shaking. She didn't understand this! She was RIGHT THERE! Right next to them! And they didn't notice her?! _

"_M-Mommy…" Sakura whimpered towards her mother, who was trying her best not to cry. She didn't like to see her cry…even her father…was holding it back…_

"_I think she went this way, come on!" Her father suddenly said as she grabbed hold of his wife, running towards the east. _

"_N-No! I'M RIGHT HERE!!" Sakura screamed towards them in distress as she tried to catch up to them, but her small legs burned as she tried to keep up. The image of her parents' backs, running away, made more tears spill out of her eyes. _

"_Wait!!" She cried out as she caught hold of her mother's long white skirt but as soon as she did...in a horrified slow motion…_

_The skirt, as well as her mother, deteriorated into a million cherry blossoms dazzling into the light…_

_Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she stopped dead in her tracks, her hands shaking! _

_The cherry blossoms scattered and twirled around her father, whom turned out to look back at his wife. His eyes slowly widened as he came to a sudden halt, the cheery blossoms floating away into the wind. _

"_No…" He murmured as he fell to his knees. _

"_Daddy!" Sakura cried as she ran up to him but still, he was not aware of her presence. _

"_I can't lose…both of you…" His voice shook as he dug his shaking hands against the white grass, her mother's cherry blossoms still twirling and dancing in the breeze. _

"_D-Daddy! I'm right here!" Sakura wept as she got down before him, right in his face. She reached out to touch him but once her hands came into contact, as if she were a ghost, she went right through!_

_Sakura gasped. "D-Daddy…" She whimpered as she looked up at her father._

_His eyes were wide and full of shock. _

"_Wait for me…" He whispered._

"_**No, DADDY!"**__ Sakura now screamed, scared. _

_But it was too late…_

_Slowly, her father too deteriorated into cherry blossoms, scattered in the wind. _

_Sakura's eyes became bleak. The whole world around her seemed stand still. _

_The blossoms brushed against her tear-streaked face… _

"_No…" Sakura whimpered, all of a sudden, a strange green glow began to shine on her forehead._

'_**Mommy…Daddy…' **__Her thoughts kept pouring over her parents, how they loved her, how they were now forever gone…_

"_**NO!!"**__ She suddenly screeched, the glow becoming more and more powerful. She clutched her hands to her head, maintaining herself. As if to prevent the terrible and aching pain her very soul was feeling. _

_She shut her eyes tight as more and more tears spilled out. And then suddenly, as if in a sudden flash of terrible lighting, it went black._

_Everything was pure darkness. There was nothing…_

_Sakura stood where she was…shaking and scared. She fell down to her knees, her locket somehow shining in the pure darkness. _

_She shut her eyes tight, tears still drifting out…until…_

"_**SAKURA!!" **__Her mother's terrible cry out to her rang throughout the darkness, causing the poor girl's eyes to snap open in terror. _

* * *

"_MOMMY, DADDY! NO!!"_ Sakura cried out as she sprang up from the sleeping bag. Her arm was reaching out and her face was soaking wet with sweat…and tears.

She gasped quietly to herself as the quietness of the camp pushed reality onto her. It was all a dream…

The small cackling of the fire still flickered and Sakura could make out Dawn's sleeping figure and Paul's in the darkness. She hugged her knees.

"It was…all just a dream…" She whimpered to herself before burying her face into them, crying.

"Sakura? All you alright?" A kind voice asked, Sakura looked up from her crying to see no other than Dawn knelt down right before her!

Sakura stared tearfully at her, still hugging her legs. Bashfully, she hid her head once more in her knees.

"Did you have a bad dream…?" Dawn asked somewhat motherly as she put an arm around the small shaking girl, Sakura leaned into Dawn.

"Y-Yes…" She whimpered as she embraced her, she was so scared!

Pretty soon, Sakura found herself crying. "M-Mommy and D-Daddy were looking for m-me! And I-I tried calling out for them but t-t-then!! WAHHH!!" She cried as Dawn soothed the poor girl, a sympathetic look in her eyes.

"Don't worry; it's all over now…" She hushed as she rubbed Sakura's back. Dawn was getting pretty good at this the second time around.

"Daddy and M-Mommy were crying…" Sakura continued on, "And they didn't see me…" She hiccupped.

"I miss them…"She sniffed, Dawn embraced the small girl tight. "Everything is going to be alright…." She consoled, Sakura looked up at Dawn, who was smiling.

"No need to worry!" Dawn said towards the small girl happily, which caused Sakura to smile.

"Now why don't you just close your eyes and think of happy things, that way the nightmares will get scared and run away," Dawn tried telling her but Sakura found it hard to go back to sleep.

"I can't…I-I'm too scared!" She looked up at Dawn anxiously, "C-Can I sleep with you?" She asked, hopeful.

"Um…" Dawn began as she looked over at the tree she was sleeping under, "It's very uncomfortable…maybe it would be better I f I slept here with you?" Sakura's face immediately lit up!

"Yes Yes!" She squealed as she anxiously got under the covers of the sleeping bag, Dawn following. Once they were both in, Sakura snuggled up to Dawn in fright.

"Everything's going to be okay," Dawn reassured, Sakura sniffed and nodded as she closed her eyes.

"You smell like mommy…" Sakura whispered as she became sleepier. Dawn smiled sweetly at the girl before she herself drifted of into a slumber.

Sakura smiled before she too, reached sleep.

A happy memory remembered.

_Feet pitter-pattered anxiously down a long hallway. It was in the middle of night and thunder crashed, the small girl shrieked in her fright as she made her way down the hall. _

"_M-Mommy, D-Daddy!" Sakura cried as she burst open the two wooden doors that led to her parents' room. The room itself was huge! Sakura could barely make out her parent's furniture, their dressers, the vanity her mother owned, the TV in the corner accompanied with a small seating area, not even the two doors that led to their bathroom and her mother's closest! But she did see their white Queen-sized bed and it was their that she raced up to her sleeping mother, who was located on the left side of the bed. _

"_M-Mommy!" Sakura cried towards her mother as she shook her mother awake. Dawn blinked her eyes opened sleepily before she registered what was before her._

"_S-Sakura? What's wrong?" She asked, her voice suddenly becoming very concerned. The then four year-old began to break down into tears. _

"_I-I-I had a scary n-n-nightmare!" She wailed as she clung to her mother._

"_What's wrong now?" Paul asked as he sat up from his sleep groggily, he looked over to his wife and noticed Sakura there. _

"_She had a bad dream," Dawn replied as she picked her small daughter and placing her onto the bed in between her and Paul. _

"_Mommy said I could sleep you two tonight!" Sakura cheered._

"_Dawn no, she can't." Paul began with his wife, Dawn narrowed her eyes towards him. _

"_And why not?" _

"_Because then this will become a habit for her!"_

"_No it won't! Sakura is a good girl!"_

"_That doesn't mean that she can't have her own bad habits!"_

_Sakura's head went back and forth as she watched her parents argue. _

"_Nonsense darling, one night won't cause much harm. It's lighting and thundering outside and it was __**you **__who watched that horror film with the Ghastly with Sakura right next to you." Dawn defended her daughter as she slinked back down to go back to sleep, her arms around her daughter._

"_But-!" Paul tried to defend but Dawn harshly cut him off._

"_Listen to me sweetie, just this one night Sakura can spend the night here. But if you keep insisting 'no', then we're not going to play any more __**game**__s for a month."_

_Paul's eyes widened in shock as he looked at his wife, then Sakura smiling innocently up at him, then back at his smirking wife. _

_He weighed out his options. _

"_Fine, just this night." He finally gave in as, he too, slinked back down back to sleep._

"_Good night sweetie," Dawn giggled sweetly; clearly happy she and Sakura had won. _

"_Yeah yeah, whatever." Her husband replied. _

"_Good night daddy!" Sakura then said, Paul turned towards his daughter. _

'_Good night," He smiled as he kissed his daughter's forehead. _

* * *

Paul awoke in the middle of the night. He sat up and looked around, the fire was going out. Sighing, he took a few branched from a nearby pile he had constructed and tossed them into the flames, and within a few moments, the fire soon began to regain its shape.

"Times like this I wish I had my pokemon," He said and he was about to go back to sleep but then he suddenly noticed something.

His eyes traced towards Dawn's sleeping bag, where she and Sakura were sleeping.

"Troublesome…" Was all he muttered before, he too, drifted back into sleep.

* * *

And this is where I'm ending this chapter (sweat-drops) It must be short compared to my other chapters but please note that I'm just back into this story. I'm testing the waters, lol. Please tell me if you guys liked it (sigh) total writer's block but I forced through it.

Also, the nightmare Sakura had, I hope you guys all noticed something towards the end. I hinted at it before in the second chapter but it wasn't as extreme and I hinted it here. Shhh!

I got chills writing that segment though, especially the ending XD.

Heehee and the part with Dawn and Paul on top of each other, I ALMOST DIDN'T PUT THAT IN THERE but I did! (Laughs) Wow, I sure like making people fall on top of each other in my fics (grins). And oh! Can you guys guess what Ash found in Paul's backpack?

Well, that's all for now. I hope you guys liked this chapter and I hope you look forward to the next!

Until next time!


	8. Chapter 8: There once was this Legend

Chapter 8! Wow…actually…this fic is going to be long. 8 WHOLE chapters for day one (knocks self over with brick) Grr, I'm getting really aggravated. I know how I want this story to go out but writing and _filling _up the small spaces in between is tough! I need to think this through….enjoy this chapter while my mind now becomes a rush hour intersection of thoughts (sweat-drops)

_**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON, OR ITS CHARACTERS. I OWN ALL OCs. **_

* * *

_There once was this legend _

_That Celebi itself _

_Had the ability to pass_

_Half of its Power to any human_

_By the touch of a dazzling green Aura._

_And with that Power_

_Said human and Celebi become linked_

_And thy human shall inherit Great Power_

_But if anything shall happen to that Celebi _

_The Power given to the human_

_Shall remain as an inconceivable Curse._

_Their Power will become stronger yes_

_But their souls become Bare and Forlorn_

_Until One as the Same _

_Shall Break all Barriers_

_And set said Human Free._

The bright morning sun twinkled through the creaks of a blinded window, its radiant gleam spreading out across a small white bed and the figure lying on it. The said figure's eyes squinted open as she felt the sun's warmth kiss her face. The back of her wrist was laid delicately on top of her forehead and her white bed covers were tossed and fumbled, a result from the young woman kicking in her sleep.

"Damn it…." She muttered as she became aware of reality. She sluggishly sat up into a sitting position on the bed, holding her white covers up against her bare chest, concealing it. The young woman's long and straight hair beautifully trailed down her back, its color of deep evergreen.

She took her hand and spread her hair to her left shoulder, exposing her bare back.

The very image was shocking.

On her back, a delicate and intricate seal of deep evergreen vines etched around the center. In the focal point of the design, a strange insomnia was centered. It was a small ring, with two blades serving as wings on either side.

The whole area was too intricate for it to be a tattoo….

The young woman went to stand from her bed but as she attempted to move, the design glowed a majestic light green. She suddenly jerked as a terrible pain rushed through her body, causing her back to arch. She collapsed to the floor, gasping as the pain continued until it finally resided into a lingering sore.

The young woman shut her emerald eyes tight as she tried her best for tears not to flow.

_But after all, this was merely a __**legend**__._

* * *

Paul forced himself up as soon as he heard the bird pokemon chirping. After all, those who sleep in are pathetic losers who are lazy and aren't serious about their work.

But as soon as he opened his eyes, they narrowed. Of course, _SHE _was still _asleep_!

"If she thinks I'm going to wait for her, she's got another thing coming." He muttered under his breath harshly as he stood up from the ground, still glaring at Dawn, who was still comfortably sleeping.

Paul just wanted to smack her.

He stomped on the leftover ashes from last night's fire to make sure all the embers have been put out before walking over to the 'troublesome girl'. He approached her and for a few moments, he was silent.

Where was the other girl?

He recalled last night that she was in the bag with Dawn and with that knowledge, he scanned the camp. His eyes widened.

She was no where!

"…annoying little girl…" He clenched his teeth; of course he wasn't going to call her _by name._

No response.

"…." He checked once more in Dawn's sleeping bag, nope only one pathetic girl there. He checked behind all the trees, nope.

Paul suddenly felt very ill.

This feeling that was forming in his stomach…it was foreign to him! He couldn't be…_worried_ about her?!

"No, absolutely not!" He cursed to himself; he would not allow himself to show such emotion!

It was _weak!_

Dawn mumbled in her sleep, turning over. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Paul to be reminded of her presence.

Paul mentally scowled. He _knew _that if she ever found out about this, _she'll be pissed!_

He took a deep breath and once more called out, "…Annoying little girl! Where are you?!" He yelled, irritated.

Nothing.

"No wonder Reggie hated me for hiding when I was younger…" He muttered to himself but as he did, his eyes widened with realization.

Of course, that had to be _it_!

Sighing, he rose his hands up in surrender. "You win Sakura, come out." He called in defeat. He sweat-dropped, of course the little girl was playing hide n' seek.

With his luck, _of course she was._

At first there was nothing and Paul cursed under his breath but then a sudden _**WHOOSH**_ was heard and then he, out of the blue, felt something attach to his leg.

"Heehee! Sakura _knew _she would win!" Sakura bragged as she wrapped her arms and legs around Paul's leg. He glared coldly down at her.

"Get. Off." He harshly said down towards the little girl, who looked innocently up at him, un-phased.

"Why?" She asked quickly in an annoying voice.

"Because it's annoying." He said through his teeth.

"Why?" She once more asked quickly, her voice still annoying.

"Because it just is!" Paul continued, agitated.

"Why?"

"BECAUSE!" He roared at her as he shook his leg, trying to get her of. Sakura giggled at his attempt.

"Why?" She asked once more, Paul has had it! He bent down towards the girl and clawed her off, setting her on the ground. She stared up at him, still giggling.

"You're funny!" She laughed as she patted her hands on the earthly ground before her.

Paul rolled his eyes, "Annoying little girl…." He once again muttered.

"I'm not little! I'm FIVE!" Sakura defended as she stuck her hand out, "THAT'S ONE WHOLE HAND!!"

Paul smirked, "Big whoop, I'm _TEN," _He stuck out both of his hands at the girl, "That's two whole hands!"

The small girl gaped at him before sticking her tongue out.

"Meanie BUTT!" She insulted, and it looked like she was going to say more but her stomach interfered.

It made the loudest gurgling noise you could imagine and she placed her small hands on top of it.

"I'm hungry…." She confessed as she looked at Paul hopefully. "Breakfast ready?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, food! My tummy wants food! Oh! Sorry! _Pleeaassseee!_" She begged sweetly, the trainer narrowed his eyes.

"We don't have any food." He said towards the girl, who gasped.

"But my tummy-!"

"You can just deal." He harshly said as he turned and walked away from the small girl, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Her stomach growled louder and _louder. _The last time she ate was….

All for a sudden, Sakura broke into a crying frenzy! She wailed as she rubbed her eyes with her hands.

'_Oh my god.' _Paul cringed as the very sound sent chills down his spine, was this girl ever going to just SHUT UP?!

"What's wrong?!" He tried to console her as he turned towards her, yet he couldn't control his anger, which made him snap at the poor girl.

Sakura cried even more! "B-But I-I haven't eaten anything since I-I woke up! I-I-I hurts my tummy!" She wailed as she clutched her stomach.

Paul rolled his eyes, "So? You only probably awoke twenty minutes ago."

Sakura shook her head hard, probably because of her crying. "N-No! W-When I woke up, y-you and D-Dawn where sleeping! The sun was just coming up!"

Paul's eyes widened. This little girl…_had woken up before him? _

Didn't little girls like to sleep in? Didn't they burn a lot of energy?

"What…exactly woke you up?" He asked incredulously as he approached the girl, who was now recovering from her crying.

"When I heard the bird pokemon chirping! Daddy says whenever you here them in your sleep, that it's morning and it's time to wake up!" She said, a little bit happier now that she was talking of her father.

Paul just stared at her, "…You don't find it hard to wake up?"

"Nope!" She giggled, "Daddy and me like to wake up! Mommy likes to stay in bed though…"

She twirled and pranced towards Dawn, who was still snoozing like a snorlax. She poked her forehead, which caused Dawn to muttered something and turn over.

"She likes to sleep in too…" Sakura pointed it out to Paul like he didn't notice.

"Hmph." Paul said, "Make her wake up." He ordered, Sakura stared at him with a confused look on her face.

"Why?" She asked.

"_Because, _then we can leave." Paul began, more irritated. "And when we leave, the sooner we get out of the valley, and the sooner we can eat."

The small girl's face lit up on the word 'eat'. She faced the blue-haired girl quickly, shaking her.

"Dawn! DAWN!" She shrilled in her cute voice, "Wake up! Wakie up!" Sakura nudged Dawn's shoulders back and forth, trying to bring consciousness back towards the sleeping girl.

However, it wasn't working.

After two minutes of this passing, Paul rolled his eyes. He approached the two and stared down at Dawn, who was still sleeping peacefully.

"Let her go Sakura," He began in a louder tone than usual; Sakura looked at him, confused. Didn't he want her to wake up before?

"She'll just have to shoo away all the _bug pokemon on top of her_ when she decides to wake up," And with that, Dawn's eyes snapped open. However, she didn't move an inch. Instead, she faced the other way, away from Sakura and Paul.

Like she was going to be believe _Paul. _

Paul took advantage of this. He picked up Sakura, who giggled slightly as she squirmed in his arms and placed her on top of Dawn, and with that, he tickled the small five-year old.

"AHHH!!" Dawn screamed in terror as she jumped from her sleeping bag, obviously thinking that the squirming Sakura was a hoard of caterpies.

She jumped out and screeched, looking at herself for any bugs. When she saw none on her OR the sleeping bag, she narrowed her eyes at Paul, and a very giggly Sakura.

"_You."_ She threatened as she pointed a finger at Paul, who just brushed it off. However, he did snicker.

"What's so funny?!" Dawn placed her hands on her hips, eyeing the said trainer. Paul faced her, smirking.

"Your _hair." _Was all he said as he pointed at the large mass of tangled hair above Dawn's head, she looked up and shrieked!

"Dawn's hair looks funny!" Sakura giggled as she rolled on the ground, laughing.

"No!!" Dawn screamed in horror as she dug through her bag, "Why can't Piplup be here?!" She whined as she searched for the hair gel she bought, once she had the said item, she quickly smoothed her hair down with it.

With what seemed like 10 seconds, Dawn's hair became absolutely perfect! And in a quick minute, Dawn restored her yellow clips back in place.

"There we go!" She marveled at her own working as Sakura admired her pretty hair.

"Isn't it pretty Paul-Hey? HEY! Where are you going?!" Dawn shouted towards the boy, who was walking away from the camp.

"Out of the valley." Was all he said, not even facing her, as Dawn gasped. She collected all her belongings together quickly, picking Sakura up, and chased after him.

"Wait up!"

"Idiot…"Paul clenched his teeth.

He was _that close_ to getting away!

* * *

The Rampager II drilled through the forest until it finally reached its edges, displaying a lovely city on the horizon. Inside the terrifying machine, Damar smirked.

"Looks like we reached the docks quicker than I expected, excellent." He dialed a few buttons on the keyboard of his armrest, causing a huge monitor to display.

Cyrus was on that monitor.

"I, Damar, would like to report that we have just reached docks a few days in advance, Celebi will be in your hands in a matter of day." Damar praised himself while Cyrus stared down at him.

"Like I expected anything more." He harshly stated as he clinked the monitor off, leaving Damar speechless.

"Well what got into his pants and bit him," He muttered as she slumped his chin on top of his hand, leaning on top his armrest. His head perked up once he heard the sliding doors open behind him.

He turned around to see the mysterious woman stand there, a clip board still in her hands. It was then that he noticed that she was wearing her official galactic uniform today. She wore a white long-sleeved turtleneck dress that reach just above her knees, white combat boots, and the gold galactic insignia on the right of her chest. She tapped her pen against the clipboard impatiently as he stared.

"Well Damar, if you're going to stare at me all day, I'll report that to Galactic as well." He snarled under his breath as he turned towards the monitor as she took place by his right side, like she normally did.

"Then don't wear such short dress," He muttered under breath in an inaudible tone. However, the woman still heard it.

"I have no choice. It's official galactic uniform and since we're arriving tonight, it's only reasonable. I should have known, being the only female on board." She rolled her eyes, her features still concealed in the shadows.

"Who's to blame? I _am _ared-blooded twenty-two year old." Damar smirked but as soon as he did, a large smack against his head echoed throughout the corridors of the machine.

He looked up her and she held the clipboard firmly in her hands, a new weapon for her.

"And until we reached Galactic territory, I am your _superior._" She huffed as she turned around, ready to walk out of sliding doors once again. As the doors slid open and she walked back into the corridors of the Rampager II, she swore she heard Damar laughing.

She didn't count on a small blush to spread across her cheeks as well.

* * *

"Hup-two! Hup-two!" Sakura chanted back and forth as Dawn and Paul made their way through the valley. She was walking a little bit in front of them, but yet she marched like a toy soldier. She paced her arms stiffly back and forth with a huge grin on her face, chanting the small melody with her steady pace.

"Aw, you're so cute!" Dawn complimented towards the little girl ahead of her, "Isn't she Paul?" She asked towards the boy next to her, who as usual, was annoyed and emotionless.

"Shut up." Was all he said in response, Dawn gaped at him.

"Meanie!" Dawn stuck her tongue out at him; he however, didn't even look at her.

_He didn't care. _

And then there was a long silence, the only noise was Sakura's sweet little chants she would make up as she marched. Dawn enjoyed the sweet little things the girl would make up as they walked; it probably was the only thing keeping her from _killing _Paul!

'_W-Why would I consider even liking him?! I mean, look at him!_' Dawn glanced at Paul, '_Okay never mind, he's hot. BUT! He's rude, self-center, and most of, all jerk! There is no way he'd be EVER capable of showing real emotion!' _

And just when Dawn was going to get into the _heated _material on why Paul bugs her so much, the very center of her thoughts broke them.

"Dawn." Paul began, his voice but not quite as harsh. Dawn looked at the boy curiously, what could he possibly want?

"What?" She asked, meanwhile, Sakura still chanted her cutesy military chants in the background.

"I want to erm…apologize…about last night…" He muttered in a barely audible tone, but Dawn paid close attention to hear it.

"What do you mean?" She asked dubiously, her voice slightly shaking. Of course, she didn't want to go back to _that memory!_

"_**AHHH!! GO AWAY! YOU PERVERT!! GET OUT, PAUL! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!"**__**Dawn screamed into realization, flushed with the deepest red you could imagine. **_

Paul clenched his teeth as he tried his best for the memory to not well up again inside his thoughts.

'_Why does she have to make this so damn hard?!' _He cursed.

"W-Whatever!" He stammered, suppressing his blushing, "I-If I had done anything to offend you the other night, I'M SORRY ABOUT IT!"

Dawn turned a little pink herself; she knew what he was up to. She knew that Paul didn't have the nerves to fully outright say what he was sorry for but yet she got what he meant.

She smiled at him.

"Thank you Paul!" She sweetly said as she smiled, Paul muttered some useless things under his breath.

"Yeah…yeah…whatever."

The moment was sweet as the continued to walk. But it was cut short when a certain cute voice cut Dawn's thoughts.

"When are we going to find my mommy and daddy?" Sakura asked as she looked at the two.

"Oh! Um…." Dawn sweat-dropped, she had just realized now that she hadn't quite asked the girl _about _her parents.

_That would help finding them!_

"Well?" Sakura asked, almost impatiently as she jumped up and down.

"Sakura…could you tell us about your parents?" Dawn asked sweetly, sweat-dropping a little bit. She must have sounded so dumb by now!

"Huh?" Sakura questioned, confused.

"To help us find them." Paul bluntly said, Sakura looked at him and once she understood his words, she nodded happily.

"Uh huh!" She joyfully answered, "But my feet hurt…."

"Oh! Of course, let's take a break under that oak tree over there!" Dawn suggested as she led herself and Sakura over to a giant oak tree. Paul rolled his eyes as he reluctantly followed.

"Now Sakura," Dawn began as she sat underneath the shady tree, holding the small girl on her lap, "What are your parents like?"

Sakura put her finger to her chin cutely, thinking over the question. "Well…mommy is a girl! And daddy is a boy!" She responded happily.

"More details!" Paul ordered towards the girl, "What you told us is obviously quite obvious."

"Paul! Go easy on her!" Dawn scolded at him as she stroked Sakura's long purple hair, "Now Sakura…what else are they like?" She asked towards her, in a soothing voice.

The small girl tried to think as hard as she could of her parents but instead of an idea popping in her head, a small grumbling was heard.

"I'm sorry! I can't think when my tummy is hungry!" Sakura answered, placing her hands on her tummy and rubbing it.

"Oh for the love of…" Paul mumbled.

Dawn snapped a harsh glare, once again, towards Paul before returning to Sakura. "That's okay, we'll go find some food then we can talk, okay?"

"'Kay!" Sakura answered contentedly as Dawn helped her up. Dawn held Sakura in her arms as they scanned the area close by, looking for food. Dawn glance over at Paul, who was still sitting over at the oak tree, doing nothing!

"Any _help_?" She harshly asked, Paul looked towards her. After about five seconds, he looked away, just returning to doing nothing!

"_That guy…" _Dawn whispered harshly through her teeth as she and Sakura looked through the bushes for food. Sakura then all of a sudden tugged on Dawn hair, trying to get her attention.

"Lookie! Pecha berries!" The small girl pointed out excitedly. Both at the same time, both girls' face lit up as the rushed over to the bush.

Dawn hastily took off her hat as Sakura grabbed as many as she could, stuffing them in. And as this occurred, Dawn noticed that the berries in her hat didn't increase after a small while.

"Sakura…" Dawn began suspiciously, "What happened to the _other _Pecha berries?" Dawn asked, but when she saw Sakura's face, Dawn couldn't help but laugh!

Of course, her mouth was covered with Pecha juice!

Dawn wiped the girl's mouth, and once the hat and Dawn's bag was filled with berries, they returned back to the Oak tree, where Paul hadn't moved.

"Paul! Lookie! Pecha Berries!" Sakura cried as she ran up to the boy, Dawn's berry-filled hat in her hands. She shoved the hat in front of him, an offering, but he stubbornly looked the other way.

_Rejected. _

"Paul!" Dawn once more scolded.

"Y-You don't like …them?" Sakura whimpered as Paul refused to eat one.

"No offensive, but I don't like Pecha berries." He harshly said, it was pretty hard _not_ to take offensive.

"You're so strange, these are my favorites!" Dawn responded towards him, a smile on her face as she set the hat in the center of the three. Sakura probably ate more than half but even with the small amount Dawn ate, she still had her fill.

Sakura couldn't help but smiling throughout the whole time.

_It all felt so familiar…_

"Just like my birthday!" She pointed out, Dawn looked at her.

"Your birthday?" She asked, Sakura nodded.

"Yup! Mommy and Daddy and me ate Pecha berries on my birthday!"

"Aww, that's sweet! When was your birthday?"

"Um, yesterday! I turned five!" Sakura once more held out her small hand, smiling.

Dawn's heart was stricken….

'_She…was separated from her parents on her birthday…' _

She glanced towards Paul, and she somewhat see a difference in his usual cold eyes. Could he have…understood this too? Understood how terrible it must be towards her…?

"Sakura," Paul began, "Tell us about your parents." He firmly asked, Sakura looked his way. She patted her belly to make it was full and once she was reassured, she took a deep breath.

"Kay Kay! Well…My mommy and daddy have hair!" She began as she pointed her finger in the air, like 'I-got-it!'.

Dawn and Paul sighed. This was going to be harder than they thought.

"Well that eliminates all the bald people." Paul said sarcastically, Dawn glared angrily at him.

"Sweetie, we need more specifics…."Dawn cautiously said to Sakura.

"Um…"Sakura said as she pressed her hands against her head, deep in thought. "My mommy and daddy…have this special room." She began as she looked hopefully at the two, "I went in it a few times before but that's it. All I remember is lot of shiny things and ribbons! And plaques and cups, trophies too I think…They were all placed in a huge glass case too!"

Both Paul and Dawn's jaw dropped.

"S-Sakura!" Dawn began, anxious. "Do you know what a contest is?" She asked, the small girl nodded her head up and down joyfully.

"Yup Yup! My mommy does a lot of those! And she has lots and lots of trophies too! She says it's a 'cup' but I never see her drinking out of it…"

Dawn's skin paled as her jaw dropped!

"N-No way!" She cried as she stood up, "Y-Your mother is a top coordinator?! With what you said, she could probably be a M-Master Coordinator!!"

"Mommy has a lot of people who want to be her friends." Sakura smiled, proud of her mother.

Dawn gasped as she went right into her bag, taking out the latest issue of _Coordinator's Monthly_, flipping through it.

"S-Sakura, look! Are any of these people your mother?" Dawn asked as she showed Sakura a article in the magazine. It was section fully dedicated to the top female coordinators of Sinnoh. About ten women were listed, a complete bio on themselves.

Sakura stared at them, "They're all really pretty, but not as pretty as my mommy! Nope!" She shook her head, "None are my mommy!"

Dawn frowned, could the small girl be lying? No! How else would a five year old know so much about contests if her mother wasn't part of them?

"Maybe she's a new, this issue is kinda old…"Dawn frowned, but then suddenly her face lit up!

"OH!! Do you know what this means?!" She rejoiced as she jumped up and down. She grabbed Paul by the collar and shook him, "Do you know what this _means_?!" The shaking only lasted a few moments before Paul swatted the girl's arms away but Dawn didn't care.

"T-That means that when we find your parents, I'll get to meet a famous coordinator!" Dawn cried with joy as her blue eyes turned into brightly twinkling stars.

"Yay!" Sakura chimed in, she didn't know what Dawn was talking about, but yet she was glad to be part of the happy scene.

Paul cleared his throat. "Well, if we're done with this nonsense, Sakura, tell us more about your parents. Sure, the whole coordinating thing could be a lead but what about your father?"

"Daddy?" Sakura once again began to think, "Daddy!" She cried happily as many sweet memories of her father came flooding back to her.

"Yeah whatever, just get on with it."

"Daddy is one of my best friends!! He has _A LOT_ of shiny badges, but he says I can never play with them…" Sakura pouted but continued, "He likes to train pokemon too! I think…he doesn't do contests like mommy…" Sakura paused to think for a moment and it was that moment for Paul to take in what the girl was saying.

"He trains with his pokemon everyday when he's home! Sometimes he even goes to another region but whenever he does…it makes me sad! But I know I can't cling to daddy…" She continued on and on.

"But yet other people want to be daddy's friend too! He's on TV a lot!! They call him a champion! I have no idea what that means but it's true!"

Paul stopped taking his mental notes and stared at the girl in credulously, "You're lying."

"No, I'm not!" Sakura whined at him.

"Yes you are, you are referring that your father is the Sinnoh League Champion, which is impossible because the Sinnoh League Champion is Cynthia, and she's a female."

"I-I'm not lying though! People say that my daddy is a champion!"

"You've been watching too much TV kid."

"Only because my daddy was on it!"

"Guys, settle down!" Dawn tried to reason with the two , "I'm sure there is an explanation for all of this!"

"You're only saying that because you just want to meet some famous coordinator!" Paul yelled at Dawn. "Just listen to her! What she says does not add up!"

"Who knows?! Maybe Sakura is from a different region! Maybe her parents were on vacation here when they were lost!"

"The chances , troublesome, think about it. Do you hear any headlines about a Champion and Master Coordinator married, with a child?! No! Didn't think so!" Paul argued, Dawn gulped, he had a point.

There was a long silence…

"I…don't lie…" Sakura murmured, her words broke the silence, causing Paul and dawn to look her way.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"I…may not eat all my dinner…I may wander off sometimes…"Sakura sniffed regarding the last one, "But I never lie…mommy…and daddy…they trust me and it makes me happy. I would never lie! Why would I lie about my mommy and daddy if I want to see them so badly?!" She wailed.

"O-Oh! It's okay! Don't cry sweetie, please don't cry!" Dawn tried soothing the poor girl.

"_Mommy , Daddy_!" She kept crying and crying. Dawn looked sympathetically at the young girl.

"I've had enough of this!" Paul finally shouted as he stood from under the tree, he began to walk away from the two.

"Where are you going?!" Dawn called out towards him, Paul didn't respond as he kept on walking, not facing her.

"PAUL!"

Paul stopped in his tracks briefly to look back at her, but when he did, he instantly regretted it.

What seemed impossible before, all his anger dissolved at that brief moment.

They still lied under the tree, Sakura weeping into Dawn's shoulder. Dawn was staring at him, her eyes on the brink of tears.

"All she wants is her mommy and daddy…"She murmured, "That is all she wants…"

And with that, Sakura looked up at him, her face tear-streaked.

And for second, Paul could have sworn he had saw himself.

* * *

Phew! That was actually hard to write! Grr (knocks head) Stupid writer's block, go away! Well, I hope the opening caught your attention XD You can probably tell that it's _really _important!

And whoo! Is there something going on with Damar and the mysterious woman, who knows?! Wait...I would know…but still!

LOL, in your reviews, some of you gave reasonable answers to what Paul had in his bag. But I'm not saying anything XD although my cousin did strike up interesting conversation about it…

Katie: I want to guess what Paul has in his bag!

Me: Okay, what?

Katie: Alright, so you know that machine we saw at Disney world? You know, the one in the bathroom?

Me:…..

Me: No Katie, Paul's not carrying a tampon…

Katie: Aw, never mind! Tell me!

Me: No! That wouldn't be fair to everyone else!

Katie: Boo!

Me: Boo you !( sticks tongue out)

Yes…she does try to sneak out spoilers from me since she reads my stories too. Ah, but I keep you guys in mind and I make sure she has to wait like you : ) It wouldn't be fair, neh?

Okay, back to my author's note, the whole scene with Paul and Sakura was suppose to reflect how Sakura is like Paul (since a lot of Dawn likeness has been shown already) I made it kinda subtle too, I don't want Sakura to be nasty! Can you guys point out how they were similar though?

And then there was the Pecha berry scene and the Parent scene, which is actually a key point cause it suppose to explain what Paul and Dawn are like in the future XD

Ugh, right now its 11pm and my neck is sore…I guess you can tell these chapters are going to be shorter than LM:SSR (sweat-drops) maybe towards the end they would be extra long, who knows?

Oh! And I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors…its summer you know?

Anyway, I hope you guys are please with this chapter! Until next time!


	9. Chapter 9: Not the Main Reason

Next chapter , WEE! Like I said before, this fic is going to be long…( sweat-drops) Nothing much to say now….so here it is! I'm so sorry for the late UPDATE !! I had major writers block, but I'm free! YAY!!! More updates for you readers, hurray!!

_**I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR ITS CHARACTERS. I OWN ALL OCs. **_

Enjoy!

* * *

"Na Na Na Na! La La Laaaa!" Sakura singed as she spun and twirled before Dawn and Paul, who were walking across the valley.

After Paul, bitterly rejoined the group, they decided to head out and now they were moving as quickly as possible, much to Paul's pushing.

"Ooh, are those berries-?" Dawn asked as she marveled at a nearby by bush…

"Keep walking!" Paul ordered as Dawn shrieked, walking more and more quickly. She knew by now not to mess with him, because after all, if he decides to ditch them, how would she get out of the valley?!

"Heehee!" Sakura giggled as she gladly kept the same pace as Paul with ease, Dawn was so envious! How could Sakura and Paul be so fast?!

"Hey Sakura," Dawn called towards the girl, who was twirling and walking at the same time, she turned to face the blunette, "Do you want a piggyback ride?" Dawn asked, smiling. Sakura's face lit up!

"Yes Yes!" The small girl squealed as she ran up to Dawn, who was smiling. Paul rolled his eyes, _not this again!_

"Okay, but I'm a little bit tired right now," Dawn said, Sakura frowned, "So I'm sure _Paul _would love to give you one!" Dawn cheered as she ran ahead of the group, turned around, and walked backwards, smiling victoriously.

Paul glared so harshly at her that Dawn was surprised her skin didn't burn!!

"_No." _He spat towards Dawn, completely ignoring Sakura, who was reaching her arms towards him as they walked.

"Aw, but look at her!" Dawn smiled at him, a hint of smugness present. "She _wants_ to!"

"No." Paul firmly stated again as he walked faster, "Why would I let a little brat on my back?" He harshly said, Sakura pouted as he walked ahead of her.

Then suddenly…it came again….

"_I'M NOT A BRAT!!" _Sakura screamed as she charged at Paul, jumping on his back! Paul fell on the floor with an _OOF!_ as Sakura sat on his back, content and smiling.

"Isn't that cute?" Dawns smiled as she crouched down right before Paul's face, a sense of victory in her voice.

Paul shot her a many death-glares.

He was about to say something truly insulting and terrible but he felt a tug on his hair.

"Let's go!" Sakura cheered.

Paul sighed. With a troublesome girl and an annoying brat, how was he going to make it out of here _SANE?!_

--

"What...is this?" Damar dubiously asked as his Galactic superior handed him a pair of folded clothes and a few utensils. He looked down at his items like they were foreign to him while the grunts operating on the controls below tried their best to maintain themselves from smirking.

His eyes averted from the belongings to the woman, his eyes wide and confused. She scowled at his expression, rolling her eyes.

"We are to meet with Master Cyrus by tonight, and you can not be presented with the way you are now." She said as she looked Damar up and down, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"What's wrong with the way I look?!" Damar lashed at her, his face blood-red. HE seemed completely oblivious to his baggy clothes, rough 5 o' clock shadow, and dark bandana that covered his eyes.

The mysterious women just "tsk-ed" at the man before her, while walking away.

"Hey-!" Damar called after her, but the futuristic doors have had already zoomed open and shut tightly right before his eyes, his superior gone.

"Sir," A grunt said as he walked up the steps from the mini-operating area below and up to the high deck, approaching Damar, who was still dumb-founded at the articles in his hands.

"My orders?"

Damar just grumbled as he acknowledged him, his eyes not leaving his hands.

"Man the controls..." He muttered towards the grunt, who nodded."...while I go shave..."

The whole room seemed to fill with silence as those words were muttered.

Damar...._shaving? _

"You heard me!" He boomed as he was quick to flee the control deck in a mad scurry.

Bringing his razor, shaving cream, showering utensils, and other similar products with him

The said grunt, once he snapped himself out of his shock, meagerly led himself to the head controls before a hand was placed on his shoulder and shoving him aside.

The mysterious woman simply smirked as she took head of the controls, casting the poor grunt aside.

"Check out coordinates, I'll handle this." She said with a menacing grin, making the grunt cower in fear.

As he did so, the said commander grazed her fingers across the many controls and smirked.

It's been a awhile since she controlled a mechanism like this.

--

The City of Celumina.

A Luscious and Beautiful City.

A city surrounded by rich evergreens and beautiful meadows with multiple banks of streams and canals just flow off into the ocean towards the right coast. A city where the beautiful houses seemed to be towering art of rich stain glass windows of greens, blues, and yellows and the buildings soar high with flowers draping the frames.

Children and small pokemon scurry throughout the spacious cobblestone streets as merchants chant off their goods to walking pedestrians while street performers dance and sing to the sounds of the earth., clapping and stomping to the beat as by-standers toss coins into their hats.

The very sight was calming and gorgeous to anyone with eyes.

Celumina itself was a town not only known for its beauty but a celestial town dedicated to the mystical legendaries and legends that have uprooted the world we live in.

And as a tribute to those holy, a mystical and legendary, the grand central fountain that flows throughout the city, the fountain that is carved out of ancient blessed wood in the form of all the legendaries, pays tribute to the beings that created this world and maintains it. And at the very peak of the fountain, the center points for all too see in awe, stood a Celebi.

Its toes pointed and its head looking up to the sky, its wing spread out beautifully. The fountain was so old and too high to be seen, that not even a single citizen could remember the expression on the legendary's face.

Only the Elder's remember vaguely what their ancestors have told them.

And that was that the Celebi…

…Was Crying.

--

Meanwhile, drifting back away from the scenery of the magnificent town, to the isolated shores off the coast to the ocean, the Rampager II raged into view.

It ripped and plunged through the sand, causing sand to fly up in its tracks and small pokemon to scurry away to safety. The giant tank-like machine swirled to an abrupt halt as it reached the shores, the water breaking against the hard steel.

"Alright, listen up everyone! We have reached Lockdown Mode in the operation, screw this up now…" The mysterious woman ordered with an assertive voice towards the crew down below,

"And you most likely won't see these shores again." She added with a menacing stare, _**"Or any land for that matter**_."

And at the sign of her strong orders, the crew scurried and relentlessly pushed buttons and pulled down levers, muttering complicated procedures to each other, each one blending together into a scientific blur.

The commander smirked as right before everyone's eyes, the Rampager II's exterior shifted and formed into a pointed vessel with two sharp blades on the sides.

"Oxygen tanks full to capacity and stirred!" One gruff shouted while focusing on a set of control and screen.

"Sea Engine, ready and loaded!" Another shouted, doing the same.

"Rockets, armed and ready!"

The mysterious smirked once more as she relaxed into her seat as the Rampager II became a sea submarine, ready to plunge into the sea. But she could not even afford to even admire the impression on the ship or the work being done, because she had too much on her mind already.

They were to meet Master Cyrus in a matter of hours, and she will have to present Celebi to him once more.

Will she be able to bear it?

Will she be able to go through all of this again?

Would the same fate happen again that happened 20 years ago?

_If you would call them years. _

Her emerald green eyes softened but were quick to turn hard, like they normally were, when two swishing doors opened behind her.

She spinned the head chair around to face the 'stranger' at the door as she rested her hand in her chin, smirking victoriously.

There stood a man in his early 20s, quite built, wearing a regular white galactic uniform. One that signified that he was an accomplish of the team and not a member, with its streaked white pants and silver and grey shirtless turtleneck, the galactic emblem on his left chest. His boyish light brown shaggy hair covering his piercing bright blue eyes, but yet they were still seen.

He was incredibly gorgeous and any girl would go weak in the knees just looking at him.

The mysterious woman ran her hands through her long evergreen hair before grinning at the very handsome man before her.

"See, isn't that better, Damar?" She said, teasing the man. He gruffed her way as she rose from his chair, allowing him to sit down. The fellow grunts looked up in shock and awe as Damar gave each and everyone one of them a sentencing death glare.

"You owe me." He growled towards the evergreen-haired commander who smirked as she went to leave the control room.

"How possibly?" She laughed as she headed towards the same doors Damar came through. What could she possibly do? PAY HIM?

Yeah Right.

The man slouched forward on his knees as he looked back to her, a sly look on his face as he spoke his next words with a suggestive tone, low enough for the grunts not to hear but for her herself to heed .

"…I heard of what you _do to the male superiors above you_, _of how you got where you are now_. I know of some reasons why Cyrus has a liking to you so much…_**Commander Celeste**_." He spoke, saying her name with a touch of soiled dignity.

Celeste stopped in her tracks and whipped her head around, her evergreen hair flying in a beautiful spin, her emerald eyes blazing as she tried her best for her tanned skin not to heat up with an uncontrollable anger.

She felt it coming, she felt the power surging through her and the insignia on her back blazing with scorching pain but somehow, she maintained it as she stormed out of the control room with an intense fierceness.

All she had to do was take a breath and it will all be alright.

It always had been alright.

But as she rushed to her room, slamming the doors with a large SWOOSH! As the sunlight poured, she couldn't take it anymore as vivid painful memories flooded her mind.

Memories that disgusted her, defiled her, made her sick.

The bright green insignia glowed with a bright light through her clothing as her emerald eyes glowed bright green, covering her pupil completely. She let out a menacing roar as a green aura flew from her hands and onto a wooden dresser, crushing and melting it instantly into an intense blaze.

As the power and pain subsides, she collapsed to her knees, tear brimming up and strolling down her cheeks as she panted breathlessly.

'_You have no future, nor have you no past. You are nothing but my tool, and for that, you should be grateful for living'_

She panted breathlessly as she gasped for air.

"…_I heard of what you do to the male superiors above you, __of how you got where you are now__. I know of some reasons why Cyrus has a liking to you so much…Commander Celeste." He spoke, saying her name with a touch of soiled dignity._

'_That's not true...' _She thought to herself in a meek whisper. Tears formed in her eyes.

'_That's not why Cyrus keeps me around…not the main reason anyway…'_

The sound of water rushing against hard steel swarmed her ears and figured the vessel has already submerged underwater and heading towards Galactic's private headquarters located off the shores of Celumina, on a private uncharted island.

Her fists clenched as she stood up, trying her best to regain her composure.

She would have too, or she would just succumb to her pain again.

--

The Galactic Headquarters.

One of the largest head quarters of the team that they own. Unlike the one in Veilstone, they do not need to hide undercover, for they were on a uncharted island and there was no one around to even hide anything.

The large building was _huge,_ taking up nearly half the island and its resources. Whether it was the main building, or the other small facilities around it. The steel and metal were so enormous in growth and density, that not a single pokemon inhabited this said island.

And if any where found, well, let's just say the headquarters used them to their full advantage.

Inside this headquarters laid many rooms, buildings, labs, and anything of the same sort involving science and creation. The labs for pokemon research, the offices, the construction, and of course, _The Project. _

The lowest floors were dedicated to the grunts and their labor, the middle to the scientists and their studies, and of course, the upper floors strictly for the elite scientists, commanders, and Master Cyrus himself.

Anyone breaking these rules where taken care off.

Permanently.

And in this complex system, inside a large executive office, on the upper floor, two female commanders sat and discussed.

"Plans are going as predicted, looks like Celeste was able to reel in another one." A Red-headed bobbed woman known as Mars said, fiddling with her large hoop-skirt uniform.

"Ah, and in record time." Jupiter admired as she looked over a couple of records in her hands. She ran a hand through her purple hair, not even bothering to touch the large piece sticking out on top. Her uniform, unlike Mars, was simple and almost manly, no skirt involved.

"Well, she has been here the longest. Even longer than Saturn." Mars murmured, awed. "There is no doubt she knows what she's doing."

Jupiter pondered for a moment before looking at her fellow commander "How long…exactly? She's merely 25 years old and-"

Just then, The Lieutenant Commander Saturn entered and approached the two commanders. "Commander Celeste and crew will be here in a matter of hours, be at the docks by dusk to present yourself."

Jupiter and Mars both nodded, before Mars smirked. "You are looking forward to her arrival?" She added suggestively as Saturn turned towards the door, he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned towards her and made no expression and left without a word, or denial.

Jupiter and Mars both snickered.

Commander Celeste was the finest commander they have ever seen. The female grunts admired her skills while the male grunts admired her beauty. Her long evergreen hair and emerald eyes seemed to be a gift from the legendaries themselves and her amazing wit and skill could just leave anyone breathless.

And Master Cyrus?

Well no one knows for sure really what he favors in her, except the elite in Galactic HQ.

He neither admires her skill, or beauty.

He admires _one thing only one thing about her_.

And _that _is something that no one _ever _speaks of.

_**Especially Around Celeste. **_

--

Short, eh? Sorry but I really want to post this up. I'm going to work on the rest tomorrow xD I have off from school! YAY!

So, it's finally revealed! The mysterious woman is Commander Celeste...Does she seem familiar? (cough) (hint) (cough) And yeah, I totally sexied up Damar a lot since I thought of something cool with him to do in the story and his regular appearance wouldn't fit. But hey, it's for the better, right? Lol (winks)

Well, the next chapter is mainly gonna focus on Team Galactic and their main plains, and how it involves Dawn, Paul, and Sakura. OH! Suspense!

I'm so tired! I'm going to go to bed now, and maybe see a lot of reviews when I wake up? xD

Until Next Time!


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